The Alliance
by silverlineage
Summary: A girl is born to form an alliance between shadows and demons. Kept safe and untouched, only the Horned Reaper is allowed to lay claim to her. With her help, castles are taken. Places are conquered. But...everything has a few twists and turns, right? ***MATURE READERS ONLY*** Rape, Abuse, Murder, Dark - Based on Dungeon Keeper 2 content
1. Chapter 1

It was a clear day when the woman decided to go down to the river to gather herbs. The village needed it, and she thought the fresh air would do her some good. She rounded the bend and found some of the children playing in the soft grass. She wanted a child of her own, but she knew that none of the men preferred her. She was either too old for them, or too young. She was too thin in places or too fat. Her hair was thin and brown. Her eyes were a pale blue and never really went with her face right. It was a very long time ago when she made the choice to live alone. It was even a mystery as to how she got to the village in the first place. She never could seem to remember her past, and she always got by with the most basic of common knowledge that every woman knew.

The children saw her and whispered amongst themselves. Already there were rumors about the lonely lady being more than what she was. And the rumors were spreading. Apparently, none of them were good. She had only lived in the village for ten years, and even that seemed much too long to many. They fled from her, and she shook her head sadly. What could she do to get a child?

"I would do anything to have a baby of my own! If only it were a girl who possessed fine, flawless white skin with chocolate brown hair and eyes as green as the sea. I would name her Lilith, and she would be my most precious secret."

"I can help you make your wish come true."

She jumped at the masculine, yet velvety noise that came from the bushes beside her. She looked around and saw nothing.

"Who are you?!" she said cautiously.

"I am someone who can give you the little girl you crave. However, there is always a price for such a thing."

"Let me see you!" she said. A little cloaked figure appeared in front of her. He was no more than two feet tall, yet he looked at her with no teasing gestures. His face was too dark to see, but the black eyes glimmered with an unearthly presence and seemed to swallow her soul. She shivered and gasped at the unknown struggle.

"Can you see me?" the velvety tone asked in a seductive hiss.

"You are evil!" she breathed.

"Yes," the creature laughed. "I am on the evil side. But, I have been watching you for quite some time. My name is Shade. I am willing to help you. I was waiting for you to say something. Now that you have, I am able to appear before you. I can help you make the child you crave to bear and have."

"You said for a price. What price?" she asked cautiously.

"I must take your soul when the girl turns eighteen. You and I will remain together throughout eternity, and our daughter will take her rightful place in the hands of darkness when the time is right."

"I…I don't know," the woman shivered.

"I will give you until tonight to decide. Enjoy the rest of your day," Shade said sarcastically as he vanished. The woman sat on the ground and thought hard. She really wanted a baby. There was no doubt in her mind about it. But, to ask a servant of evil to help her get one?! She knew she had to tell the town Wizard, but at the same time she didn't want to. No one cared about her. If she told anyone, she knew the townspeople would think she was crazy and outcast her even more. They were hard enough to sell herbs to as it is! She would have to keep this strange encounter to herself.

"Maybe it won't be so bad," she mused. "If all I can attract is evil, then maybe I should say yes. I do want a baby…"

She kept quiet the rest of the day and did her chores around the little hut. At sunset, she checked her window and watched the sun settle down among the trees. When the sky was black and the stars began to appear, she felt a sudden chill down her spine.

"Have you made your choice?"

She turned at the voice. The figure was back.

"Yes. I have. I want a child."

"Even at the cost of your soul?"

"Yes."

"Very well, then. Undress and lay back in the bed. It may be quick, for I have little time. I have other places to be."

She looked at him strangely, but she undressed. She felt the scorching gaze of lust in his eyes as she pulled the covers over her. In a split second, the figure's cloak was on the ground and she was looking at a solid black demon with glittering onyx eyes. His face was incredibly slender and handsome in the faded light of her fireplace. He grew six feet tall and stretched his bat-like wings out to reveal his broad, yet solid, muscular chest. He had long, black hair that spiked out as it reached the floor like a shaggy lion's mane. He smiled a fanged smile, and he ran a clawed thumb under his chin with amusement.

It was time. He glanced at the moon with a smirk as he nodded to himself. He merged with the shadows and the sheet was flung off of her. She felt her body getting brutally ravaged by him, and she started to try to push him off. She screamed that she changed her mind and didn't want the baby. All the demon did was grin and torture her with heavy slaps to her body. A moment later he was gone. All that was left was his cloak on the floor. Even that slowly melted away to become an eerie, vanishing fog.

"What have I done?!" she shrieked and curled up into a little ball. Bruises were already forming into large welts on her body. She cried the rest of the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Nine months later, she lay in bed with birthing pains. It was nightfall, and candles were the only form of lighting in the room. She let no one come from the village to assist her. As if anyone would, anyways. The most they thought was that she was raped by someone desperate enough to be with her. She paid it no mind at all. Other women went through childbirth by themselves. She could do this.

The pains were getting closer together, and she was trying to keep from screaming. The only problem was that the pain was far too excruciating for a normal birth. She wouldn't know it, though. How could she? As she lay there with each contraction hitting her, she felt a chill in the air. The candles flickered violently from a sudden breeze and blew out without any warning. This left her in complete darkness. Her fears would quickly confirm her worst nightmare.

"Very interesting," the demon mused as he appeared from the shadows. His black eyes glittered with pure amusement.

"Go!" she pleaded weakly. The order was, of course, ignored. Shade didn't bother to visit her since her rape, and she had become so terrified of him coming back that she trembled to the marrow of her bones. He had been watching her from afar, though, to ensure that her pregnancy was successful. If it didn't take the first time, he was eager to rape her again. That was a given.

"I can't do that. This is my daughter. I must assist her birth in any way that I can," he said with a cold smile. "It's a wonder that you don't have a villager assisting you. Then again, you must have known that the child might have been taken from you."

"Please! Don't stay!" she begged. He was laughing at her weakened state. He could do anything to her, and they both knew it.

"But, why? You know that you are too helpless to resist me at this time. It will be so much fun to see what you would try to pull to keep me away!" he grinned. She watched the demon stretch his wings and reveal his broad chest. He walked towards her slowly like a cat stalking a mouse. He covered her with his wings like a smothering blanket of pitch-black evil. She soon saw nothing but darkness.

"Don't do this," she whispered. She began to cry out suddenly. The beast was pleasuring her during her labors!

"Now, this _is _rather fun!" he chuckled. "Let's see…will you cry out your pleasure before the baby comes? Or will it be pain first? Shall we see?"

"Leave me alone!" she screamed, as a pleasuring feeling overwhelmed her before being shattered with a sharp pain. He kept tormenting her until she let out a final cry of deep pain. She fainted right after it.

"I was hoping you'd stay awake," he sighed. "Mortal women are so weak!"

He grumbled and appeared by the bed holding his daughter. Her hair was not chocolate brown. Her eyes were not green. Her skin was definitely pale, but her hair and eyes were a solid black. He smiled. She did not scream when she looked at her father. She didn't even cry. She knew what she was. The demon nodded at this. He wiped her clean of blood and revealed one of his claws.

"She may call you whatever she likes. However, you are known as Saithe to those of evil kin," he whispered. The baby smiled before shrieking in pain from the claw sinking into her chest and into her heart. "I have marked you so I can always find you. You can call on me only if the need is urgent enough. I will beat you if the need is wasted on something foolish! I am a king of shadows. You are my princess. Soon this village will be destroyed with or without your help. It will happen on your eighteenth birthday. Remember my words."

He removed his claw and kissed the wound closed. Saithe stopped crying almost immediately and looked at him. She reached a careful hand out to him, and he grasped it gently. The father side of him was clearly there to show that he was trustworthy. That he would protect her. She smiled and laughed. The implantation of his face and form was now firmly engraved in her mind. She would smile and laugh for no other right now.

"Only you can see me from now on. Your mother will suffer if she hurts you for any reason. If I do appear to you for some odd reason, let me teach what needs to be taught and don't ask any questions."

With that, he lay his daughter down next to her mother. He knew she would become a rather beautifully stunning girl. He would kill anyone and anything that touched her. She was made for only one creature and he grinned. He would get his alliance soon enough. The moment he vanished, her mother woke. She saw her daughter and clasped her to one of her breasts. She looked around frantically and saw no sign of the girl's father.

"Lilith! You are mine. You are finally my secret!" she whispered. Saithe said nothing. Her mother kept whispering things to her. She remained quiet. When her mother saw the light scar on her daughter's chest, she screamed. "That bastard! What did he do to you? If I ever see him again I'll kill him!"

Saithe smiled and gurgled with a form of happy laughter. Her father was being spoken of. That was when her mother realized that Saithe would never smile for her. She would only smile for her father. He had stolen her baby's love. She broke down into tears, and Saithe closed her eyes to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Saithe grew quickly over the next several years. Her scar had faded to nothing with her father's help. He didn't want her marred. Her father taught her how to do all the naughty things a girl shouldn't do at the age of fourteen. She stole from the village and lied smoothly about it. She repulsed the boys when they tried to get close. She teased the girls when they tried to become friends with her. She never spoke to her mother unless it was necessary, and she did her chores to keep her father happy. She never had to summon him once. Her mother realized she was eating less and less. She was becoming concerned, but Saithe had her own means of finding food.

She went down to the river to collect some fish for supper. She pulled back her ground-length hair and narrowed her eyes with determination as she struggled with the net. When she had it set down just right, she bent down to gather some cooking herbs. She even knew where the poisonous ones were, too. She liked to poison her mother on occasion if she wanted time to herself. So far, it was just sleeping broths that she slipped into her mother's teas. She looked up when she heard a twig snap.

"What do you want?!" she snapped rudely. A straggly boy with short, beach-blond hair stood by a tree. He looked at her with his blue eyes and smiled dashingly. The moment he set eyes on her, he had tried to get her to like him. She did everything she could to keep him away, but he was too stubborn to listen. He kept thinking that he could change her ways. He was always proven wrong, but he was too smitten with her beauty to care. He simply wanted her to like him.

"Just making sure you're all right," he said in a nearly deepened voice.

"I'm perfectly fine, Clyde," she said, as she went back to picking herbs.

"How do I know that unless I see you?" he asked.

"There are other girls. Go bug them."

"No. I like bugging you."

"Go away!" she snarled. "I want nothing to do with you!"

"You think you can stay away from me?!" he asked hotly. "I'm going to the castle to become a Squire! I'll be a Knight in a few years! When that's done I'm coming back to make you my wife! You have my promise! You won't be rid of me then!"

"Like hell you will!" she seethed. "I don't need you! I don't need this village! I want to live alone!"

"Just like your mother?" he asked. "What a life you have ahead of you!"

"Good! It's the way I like it!" she said. "Go off and be a Squire and shovel horse manure for several years! Wear armor that makes your body weakened to such a state that you can't think you're safe unless you have several inches of steel on your skin! Ride your prized horse to a horrid foundering and seek another steed that will end up doing the same thing! I DON'T CARE!"

"How dare you!" he hissed. "I'm going to beat you to a bloody pulp!"

"Go away!" she screamed as he tackled her. She screamed again as he slapped her cheek. He wrestled her to the ground and struck her again. She sensed her father nearby, and she knew he was waiting for her to call him.

"I'll make you learn!" he growled as he tried to pull up her dress.

"Father!" she cried. Clyde looked up at the sudden shadow that appeared before him. The demon seethed with anger.

"Leave my daughter alone!" he howled as he struck the boy with an outstretched hand. The backlash was so hard that Clyde was thrown twenty feet away. The demon looked at Saithe's face and scowled at the bruises that began to form.

"You're the daughter of a demon?" Clyde said with a gaping mouth.

"You touched my daughter," her father growled. "You struck her down. Now it's my turn to strike you down!"

"No! Please!" Clyde cried as he got up and ran.

"No matter where you run I will find you and give you punishment!" Shade vowed. Saithe stood up to straighten her dress and watched Clyde run to the village. Her father turned to her with a snarl. He would have to do something about that boy.

"Thank you, Father," she said softly.

"I saw what happened. You did well in summoning me. I sensed something was wrong the moment the boy appeared. I had better train you in the art of defending yourself. Your…mother…can wait."

"Yes, Father," she said. He touched her cheek lightly and the bruising vanished.

"You are meant to be touched by only one creature, and he will be known when your destiny is before you. As for what he does to you, I can't stop it. Enough of this talk for now. Watch my moves closely."

For several hours she trained with him. He taught her basic defensive postures and drilled her in different styles of kicks. As the sun started to set, he nodded to her and said, "You learn fast. That's good. I'll be able to train you in the black arts of magic if you continue to learn this swiftly."

"That will be helpful," she said thoughtfully. "Do you think I can charm my enemies into fighting each other?"

"Hmm…possibly. I'll look into it. Now you must get back to your daily chores. If any of the other boys touch you, call me."

"Of course, Father," she bowed. He nodded and vanished. She gathered her herbs and pulled out several fish. No doubt her father lured them into the net. She brought them inside the hut.

"Wonderful! This is a lot of fish tonight," her mother said.

"Yes. Father helped me."

"I see," she said with a shiver.

"Clyde tried to hurt me."

"What?!" she said.

"Father hurt him back. I don't think Clyde will be among the living much longer," Saithe smirked. Her mother paled with fright. She looked around the hut fearfully and then went over to the fish to start preparing it. After supper, which she ate very little of, Saithe watched her mother go to sleep. Saithe rarely ever slept these days, and she snuck out into the wilderness of the riverbed. She breathed in the night air and stood tall in the misty valley. Now it was her turn to be free.

With a wild cry of joy, she ran among the soft grasses the earth yielded. She stalked a rabbit and caught it deftly. She was hungry and knew there was only one thing that could truly cure her hunger. She cut open the struggling rabbit's gut with her fingers and pulled out the beating heart. She popped it into her mouth and chewed it slowly. She felt delicious shivers when the warm blood poured down her throat, and she threw the carcass back into the brush. She had discovered her strange addiction by pure accident.

She had gone into the butchery and found a chicken being dressed for slaughter. She had carefully felt along the struggling bird's breasts and found the heart beating rapidly. When no one was looking she thought it would be interesting to see the heart beating outside of the body. She dug in her fingers and cruelly pulled the heart out. As she looked at it, she wanted to taste it. When the warm heart touched her lips, her senses were excited beyond measure. Since then, she had always hunted alone at night.

She stretched and removed her clothing. She hated the way the cotton confined her skin from the night air. She found another rabbit and claimed its heart. She smeared the warm blood all over her skin and stared up at the sky. She smiled and sat on the ground. The stars were suddenly vanquished by the long hair and solid black chest of her father. He appeared to be completely bewildered at what she was doing. This was the first time he checked on her at night.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

She stared up at her father.

"This is what I've always done late at night."

"Nude? With fresh animal blood on you?!" he snarled.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Do you have any idea what kind of creature you are turning into?!"

"No."

He smiled and sat down next to her.

"Good."

"Glad you approve," she smiled and sighed. He watched her closely and pulled out a rabbit he had caught. She took it and pulled out the living heart. He looked at her perfect, heart-shaped face with her petite nose in the middle and let his eyes rove down to her budding breasts. She was filling out very nicely. Maybe a little too nicely…

"You really have a taste for the living," he muttered.

"I know. It's your blood that is making me crave it."

"How do you know?"

"I just know."

He looked at her strangely and turned to the sky. He cleared his throat as though trying to remain in control of something.

"I have seen your future mate."

"Have you?"

"Yes. He is quite a tough one to crack. He kills even his own ally if extremely angered. You shall have to watch yourself around him."

"I see."

"I'm going now. Head home. As always, watch yourself."

"I will."

She watched her father spread his wings and jump off to fly. He hovered above her to survey the valley before speeding away. She smiled. They both had night vision. She yawned and found a stream to clean herself up in. She donned her clothes and ran back to the hut. She crawled under her thin blankets and shivered. Her mate appeared to have some kind of a short fuse. She'd have fun sparking it.


	4. Chapter 4

It was dawn on her eighteenth birthday. She had managed to survive through thick and thin to this moment. Her mother was already dead. Her father had taken her soul while she slept. She watched him stalk up to the bed and strangle her in the cruelest manner possible. He turned to Saithe right afterwards and ordered her to burn her mother's body. Once the chore was done, the hut belonged to her solely. As if it would be a place she would want to live in, anyways.

"An army of darkness is approaching. You are to remain here no matter what. I don't know when they will arrive, but the time could be any second. If someone calls for you to follow them, ask if they have come to till the soil or burn the wheat. If they reply to burn the wheat, follow that creature. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Father," she said. He nodded and vanished. She removed her dress and looked down at herself. Her body had filled out to perfection, and she resembled a porcelain statuette. Her face was a delicate heart-shaped oval, and her lips were alluringly pink. Her eyes made anyone who looked at them feel like they were being sucked away from the world they knew. She gave one person nightmares about it. She studied her breasts and smiled. They were not too small, but not too large, either. She always wondered why no other bodily hairs grew on her except for her head. She figured it was from her Father's side that did it. All he had was the long hair on his head as well.

She put her dress back on and bunched her black hair up into a bun. It was never cut and could easily cover her body if she let it down. It seemed to stop growing after a certain point, too. There was a time when her mother tried to cut it, but the scissors passed right through the fine lock of hair as though it was nothing but a shadow. Her mother never touched her hair again. She always wore a bun to keep her hair from sweeping the ground behind her. She went out to the back of the hut and grabbed a chicken. She killed it with a quick snap of her wrist in a rather expert manner and pulled out the heart to eat. Her mother had actually caught her doing it and vomited on the spot. Saithe had never felt so thrilled.

"I wonder when they will come for me," she said aloud with a soft smile. "Anything is better than this place."

A loud horse bray was heard from her window. She went back into her hut and peered outside. She hissed. Clyde had survived her father's ordeal and had apparently succeeded in becoming a Knight. He jumped off his white charger and pushed up his visor to survey the hut. He looked every bit as dashing as he did when he was younger, but his ego had grown by leaps and bounds. Just by surviving a demon's wrath had earned him a touch of respect. He let that feed and fuel him as he trained.

"Lilith! I've come for you!" he said proudly as he stepped in. He paused when he looked at her. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life. For some reason, he had instinctively avoided her eyes. Something in the back of his mind told him it was a bad omen to stare eye to eye with her.

"I did not invite you inside!" she said hotly. "My name was never Lilith, either!"

"You mean to tell me that you were never truly called Lilith?!" he asked with shock. She rolled her eyes at his denseness and smiled coldly.

"You never knew me. You never will," she growled. "Now get out of my home."

"Where is your mother?" he asked cautiously.

"She's indisposed at the moment. Get out!"

He stared at her with disbelief. Even after all this time, she still wanted nothing to do with him. He pulled his visor down and reached for her. "You will be mine! I trained hard to come back to you, and I will _not_ be denied!"

"Father!" she shrieked. The demon appeared in front of the Knight and shoved the man out the door with inhuman force. His daughter was not meant for a human. She was never meant to be with a human.

"Demon! I'm ready for you!" Clyde said as he swung his massive broadsword. A loud trumpeting call echoed from the village. Clyde gasped at the summons. The village was under attack.

"You had better leave, Knight," Saithe hissed.

"I'll be back to take you from the darkness," Clyde vowed.

"She was created in darkness, born in darkness and she shall live in darkness," her father grinned and watched the Knight flee to help his village.

"I'm surprised you didn't kill him when you had the chance," she pouted. He put a hand on her shoulder.

"I didn't think he would be worth my trouble, but I was wrong. I'll let your future husband handle him personally if the time ever comes. I'm leaving again. Remember to wait for the call."

She nodded and watched her father leave. She sat on her bed and waited patiently. Several hours later she heard screams echoing in the valley. She smiled. It was like music to her.

"Saithe," a voice croaked. "Come with us."

"Have you come to till the soil or burn the wheat?"

"Burn it all!" the voice cackled. She smiled and looked out the window. A Troll with gray, warty skin, a crude rag cloth and a huge mallet was looking at her. She walked out and he watched her with a lewd expression.

"Which way?" she asked. The Troll smiled with gap teeth and started walking away from the hut. She followed him and was surprised at his speed. They ran deep into the forest and encountered a hole in the ground. The Troll jumped in. She hesitated. She looked back at the valley and heard Clyde's shouting. He was searching for her and was getting closer. She growled and jumped into the hole.

A brief blackness surrounded her, and she felt her feet touch solid ground. The stone path spread before her as her night vision kicked in, and she realized the world she now lived in existed under the village. She took a few steps forward and looked around cautiously. Torches on the wall now lit her way to reveal intricate wall carvings. It all looked hand-made. But by who's hands? She was rather curious of it all. As she walked forward again, a huge beating was heard.

"That's odd. It's like…a heart?" she whispered. She walked further and saw a strange creature with a large backpack run past her. It looked at her with over-sized eyes and yipped as something smacked it backwards. She watched it dig a new room with fascination. Others appeared to make new floors and carve the intricate walls up. As she watched this, she also felt an intense presence watching her. It was almost as though it was studying her as she was watching the tiny creature. It was slightly unnerving to her. Now she whispered to herself, "What is this place?"

She walked around some more and saw more rooms. She found a Library and was awed at the Dark Wizards studying the dark arts. Her father had taught her some magic, but she kept her thoughts to herself. They didn't appear to like intruders on their studies. The fireball at an intruding Imp solidified that thought. With a smile, she looked around a little more. She saw more creatures of different types, and several of them looked at her before moving on. She felt as though she belonged here, somehow. She encountered the lair and saw the different monsters and creatures sleeping in their make shift homes. She smiled and looked around again.

Suddenly, a huge commotion appeared at the front of the room. A huge red demon that was easily four feet taller than her with two giant straight horns jutting at a slant from opposite sides of his forehead appeared in a charged wave of fiery steps. He curled back his lip and revealed sharp, yellow teeth that glinted in the dim light. His jawbone had a set of small horns that jutted out of the sides of it, and he even had a slight crevice in his chin. That feature alone enhanced the details of his long face completely. With a heavy snarl the others cringed and ran from him. She stared at the beast in awe before cringing away herself.

He growled and smelled the air. He looked around with glowing yellow eyes with black cat's eye pupils that appeared to be nothing more than slits in his face and snorted. Something was different. Something drew him here. He growled again and narrowed his eyes. He pulled up his scythe and set it up straight. Then he stared at her, and she felt his eyes bore into hers. For some reason, he felt himself tumbling down into the darkness of her eyes. He realized that she was something more than what she seemed to be. She was the one that pulled him to this room. He rumbled in his deep voice as though mustering up strength to speak.

"You…" he breathed. "Who…are…you…?"

"Saithe," she whispered. He grunted and took another step closer to her. She saw that he was completely hairless, and he had gold pierced nipples on his rock hard chest. His chest, itself, was as massive as her fathers and just as heavily muscled. He wore two giant, black shoulder plates with his shoulder spikes coming out at each side, and a heavy, black chain necklace adorned his neck. The necklace also held an impressively sized polished bloodstone. He had black metal chaps that went from his feet to his hips and left his inner thighs open. His belt held a simple black leather loincloth that covered his front and rear.

He breathed deeply, despite his gold nose ring, and the even rising and falling of his chest mesmerized her. She saw the spikes jutting out of the bottom of his jaw and elbows. He even had them appearing out of his calf muscles down to his hoof-like feet. A sharp snarl brought her eyes back to his. He showed a slight, smirking half-smile and walked off. He made plans to find her later when there were less around her.

"At least he's happy…" a monster mumbled as it wandered past her. That was him being happy?! Did she even want to see him mad?

"Who is that?" she asked. "The one that just appeared and left?"

"That's the Horned Reaper. The strongest of all of us. We call him Horny around here," a skinny green Goblin wearing a leather loincloth whispered. The Goblin was holding a club and gained his courage back quickly when Horny left the room.

"I see," she whispered back. Tracks of fire marked where the red demon left the room, and they sputtered and died. A feminine laugh roused her from her thoughts, and a red head in a black and metal jump suit walked into the room.

"Who are you?" the woman asked. Saithe looked at the strange woman with a raised brow. She was heavily busted, but it was confined in the suit. She had fairly pale skin, and one of her legs would have been completely exposed if it wasn't for a strap of metal that twirled around it. When she turned partially, Saithe saw that a single line went down the crack of her rear and exposed the soft skin completely. A single sprout of red hair came out from the top of her head from the open-faced mask she wore. The woman revealed a metal clawed hand and smiled.

"I am Saithe."

"So, you are the one," she mused.

"What?" Saithe asked. The woman gave a throaty laugh and walked off. Saithe watched her leave and stood up. Apparently, Saithe was expected. Did her father tell them about her? She shivered and looked around. She decided to explore a little more. She found herself wandering down a winding tunnel that was still in a bit of excavation. As she walked further on, a sharp snarl startled her from behind. She turned and saw the red demon standing tall behind her. She noticed that the scythe he held had a retractable blade. It was curved downwards at the moment, as it was not in use.

"Now that we are finally away from the cattle, tell me how you got here," he said in a surprisingly smooth dialect. Her eyes widened that his voice was not only deep, but had multiple tones like a faded echo.

She straightened herself and managed to tell him of her father. He listened the whole time and smiled. He blinked his eyes and looked at her. He took his time to study her figure. He found her to be very slender under the brown cotton dress she wore, and he longed to rip it off her skin. Her face was something else entirely. He found it rather wonderful to gaze at. He didn't like the way her black hair was bound up, and he had the feeling of sinking in eternal darkness again when he looked into her eyes. Every time he looked away and back into those depths, the sinking feeling returned. He loved it.

"Now you know," she said.

"So, you are the one Shade was speaking of. How…refreshing."

"You know of him?"

"Surely. If any are feared of me, they fear him as well. He controls the shadows. He can easily kill something just by crushing it with darkness. If you are his daughter, then he surely means to do something soon."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Simple. Something big is going to happen and you are the key. It will be a wonder to see what it is. Now, as to why you are so…intriguing to me," he grinned and moved closer to her. She trembled in front of him. He reached out a red, clawed hand and snatched her up by her dainty waist. She shrieked as he threw her onto his shoulder. He began to turn to walk back towards his lair.

"Wait!"

"Huh?" he snarled with annoyance and turned. "Shade. What is it?!"

Her father stood tall before the flames of Horny. She saw his handsome face masked with concern. "You can't do this yet."

"What do you mean?" Horny asked dangerously. He was never denied anything when he wanted it. He was irritated that he was told he couldn't touch something that he clearly wanted to possess.

"It is not time. We are still under attack. There is someone here who thinks he's close to her. A goodly Knight by the name of Clyde."

Horny seethed and hunched up with anger. With a flick of his wrist, the blade extended on his scythe. Shade closed his eyes in a trance and his eyes snapped open. The look proved what they all didn't want to know.

"Clyde is here? That idiot!" Saithe scowled. Horny was now completely livid.

"He is about to attack the Heart!" Shade hissed and vanished. Horny growled and roared. He ran with her bouncing on his shoulder. His scythe glinted in the passing torchlight as though it was a warning to any and all that he was ready to kill. When he reached the Heart Chamber, all of the other minions were dead around it.

"Lilith!" Clyde said, as he brandished his bloodied broadsword. "I've come to save you! It's all right! I'm here now!"

"Leave, Clyde!" she hissed over Horny's shoulder. "This demon will destroy you! If you have any common sense left, you'll leave now!"

"Hah! I've destroyed all these demons myself and one more won't matter!"

"You are making a big mistake!" she warned. Horny set her down roughly and ground his teeth. He was getting madder and madder by each passing second.

"I'll rescue you from this beast!" Clyde said. She reached up and touched the demon's armored shoulder. He looked at her coldly, but then his gaze softened at the rushed whisper she gave him. He grinned and looked at the Knight with amusement. Her suggestion to make the Knight panic seemed to make sense. The Knight was in love with her. She wanted Clyde to die knowing that she didn't love him. He knew of one thing that would easily make the Knight panic, though he never tried it before. He figured it was worth the effort. He picked her up with a smooth movement and kissed her deeply. Horny gave a light grunt when his lips pressed against hers, and he had to catch himself before he lost his balance. It was a new sensation to him. He liked it.

The Knight stared at her with disbelief. She was involved with the unclean! He watched Horny set her aside, and Clyde trembled when the glowing yellow eyes focused on him. He saw Saithe place a hand over her mouth with surprise. She had not expected Horny to kiss her. The moment the demon's lips touched hers, a strong shock had gone through her body. What she didn't know was that the same thing happened to Horny. In all of his years of existence, Horny never had that experience before. Then Clyde saw a tall shadow appear next to the demon. Shade was here to protect his daughter. The Shadow Demon crossed his arms and glared.

"No!" Clyde whispered with horror. The demons were more than ready to take him on. They battled the Knight with ease, and Saithe watched with amazement. Her father summoned the shadows to glue the Knight in his tracks, and Horny battled him with swipe after swipe of his scythe. After only minutes of fighting, the Knight's head was severed. Saithe gave a cry of joy and ran over to the corpse. Horny watched her with confusion. He moved to stop her, but her father stopped him.

"Watch," Shade said calmly. Saithe removed the chest plate and cut open the belly with her nails. She pulled out the heart and began to feast.

"She eats hearts?!" Horny asked with amusement.

"It's the only thing she will eat," Shade said. "She can have other food, but it's the hearts that fully sustain her. Now, she will see the Heart in the chamber. It's damaged, isn't it?"

"Horribly," Horny grunted. Saithe saw the large Heart beating weakly in the chamber. With an instinctive movement she cut her wrist open and let her blood flow into the Heart. As she grew weaker, the Heart grew stronger. When she finally felt she could no longer stay awake, Horny pulled her into his arms. The Heart was healed. Shade touched her wrist, and the wound vanished as though it never existed. Now he gazed down at the frail girl he held. "She can do this?!"

"Yes. It costs her quite a bit, but this is her destiny."

"If she gets killed while healing the Heart…"

"That is where you come in. You are to protect her."

"What?!" he snarled.

"Think about it! You are attracted to her! Right?"

"Humph. What of it?"

"She is to be with you. You are the only one allowed to touch her. I have kept her pure for you!"

"What is your point?!" he growled.

"You and I can form an alliance. My stealthy shadows and your fiery might working together at long last! Exactly like what we did with that human just now. Can't you picture it? She can learn to use the shadows as well when she is properly trained."

"I see. Let me think on it."

"Take all the time you need," Shade nodded and vanished. Horny looked down at Saithe and growled. He looked around and shook his head. The place was empty and reeked of death. He didn't mind the death, but the place was a mess. All of the Imps were destroyed. Who was going to make this place back to normal? With a snort, he knew the Imps would be reformed in time.

He took her into the now empty lair and looked for a suitable spot. A skeletal throne with red velvet cushioning appeared for him, and he sat down with her in his lap. He let one of his claws shred the garment she wore. He tossed it aside to look at her body. He would have tried to undo her hair, but the bun was too confusing to remove. As he gazed at her firm breasts and slender waist he felt his lust rising unlike anything he ever experienced in his life.

"I have never felt such a tremor in my bones just by looking at a mere girl before. I can't ever remember having this type of burning desire!" he grunted. He looked up and hissed. A new Imp was made and looking at her. He killed it with his scythe. He felt himself get lifted and placed into another room with her. It was set up in a locked chamber that had everything he needed for the time being. The Imps could not get in to disturb him. Now he let out a small grumble. "This is an interesting change…"

His throne reappeared in the spot of carpet, and he sat down with her once more. He let his hands wander over her slender form. When he began to move them between her legs, she shuddered and looked at him. His yellow eyes pierced her black ones and he snorted. He felt himself dragged down into her depths again, and he had to keep himself from trembling.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked.

"Something I may have done to a Mistress, but at a more painful level," he grinned. "The first time is always the worst one."

"What first time?" she asked.

"I guess Shade never taught you about this?" he grinned again.

"Father!" she cried out. He did not come to help her. Then she knew that this was the demon her father was talking about. She was on her own from here. Horny smiled with a form of twisted amusement, and he knew was going to have some fun. She gasped when he pushed a clawed finger into her, and she tried to squirm. He held her down with a savage snarl and worked it deeper. She tried to get away again, and he still managed to hold her down. When she felt as though he securely trapped her, he removed his waistline armor and positioned her to sit on him. All she could do was whisper a fairly weak plea. "No…"

She was still weak from the blood loss, and she knew that Horny didn't care. He slammed her down into his lap, and she screamed from the sudden pain that tore through her. He had breached her uterus when she felt him reach his hilt, and the feel of it made him lose any control he thought he had.

"Now you fully belong to me!" he snarled and emptied himself into her. She screamed again when she felt a searing fire consume her insides. He let her escape him afterwards, and he replaced his armor. She curled up into a tight ball and hugged her knees to her chest. He watched her and decided she would be of no threat if he took a nap. He got comfortable and was soon snoring deeply.

"What did he do to me?" she whispered to herself in horror. She felt awfully sore, but she knew it would pass quickly. She got up a bit shakily and realized he made her bleed. She swore to herself and shook her head. She would manage. She undid the bun and let her hair down. It covered her up nicely and she began to search for a way out. The door was locked up and she went to the wall. She let out a growl, and her eyes shimmered as she hissed, "I am made from shadows. Let the shadows work for me!"

The shadowed cracks in the wall got larger and the wall crumbled down. She smiled and ran down the hallway. When she felt she was lost, she heard the shadows whispering directions to her. She realized what her father told her when she was to be the princess of shadows. They obeyed her every thought. When she was halfway out to the exit, her father appeared with his hands crossed on his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?!" he snapped.

"He hurt me, Father!" she hissed. "I am not going back!"

"He…" Shade whispered and hissed when he saw the blood on her legs. "I know he did. It won't be so bad next time."

"There will never be a next time. I'm leaving now!"

"You know how he will be when he finds you gone."

"I don't care," she said bluntly. He watched her head down the hallway. A part of him was longing to go after her and spank her bottom, yet a more sensible part of him told him to sit back and watch. Let Horny deal with her as he will. He smiled cruelly and started laughing.

She reached the exit and jumped out of the hole. What she found was surprising. The lush valley was a stinking pit of acrid smoke. She smiled. She just hoped she would be able to hunt something suitable.


	5. Chapter 5

Horny woke with a yawn and grunted. He remembered Saithe and grinned. He went to look for her, but he found an Imp standing in the spot she was in. Anger heated quickly inside him when he saw the gaping hole in the wall. She escaped him. He would never let her forget it. When other females escaped him, he never cared. She was different. She belonged to him.

He got up with a sharp growl, and the Imp ran for safety from his wrath. He ran through the dungeon and smelled the dank air. He caught the scent of the drops of blood that fell from her, and he quickly gave chase. The drops were fairly fresh. He woke not long after she fled from him. That meant he would catch up with her. Her scent led him towards the portal. She left the dungeon. He roared his anger and jumped out to drag her back in. What he saw stopped him dead in his tracks.

She was dancing nude in some sort of erotic trance and smeared head to toe with the blood of a deer she had just killed. He couldn't tear his eyes away from her hips and breasts. She bent down and smeared more blood on her skin, and he watched her hands move over the slippery red liquid with a practiced ease. He wanted her again and a savage hiss emitted from his mouth. When she looked up and saw him, she hissed back.

"Come back to me and you will be forgiven," he said quietly.

"No!" she spat.

"This is your last chance to come quietly."

"Leave me alone!" she growled and ran. He bellowed and ran after her. He was surprised at how fast she was on her feet. She was outdistancing him greatly. Finally he stopped and she was out of sight.

"Damn you!" he shouted. "I will not rest until I find you!"

"Let me bring her back to you," Shade said behind him. Horny turned and glared at him. He stood up tall and focused his eyes on the path she took.

"No. She is mine. I will catch her. You go back and make sure the Keeper is well. If you want our alliance to thrive, you will do this," Horny growled. Shade smiled and nodded. Horny accepted their alliance. He would do as he was asked. Horny watched the Shadow Demon vanish, and he began pursuit.

An hour later he found her sitting next to another kill she made. She had placed fresh blood on her skin and glared at him when he stepped out into the open.

"Leave me alone!" she scowled.

"You belong to me!" he growled.

"I belong to no one, save myself!" she hissed back. "You hurt me!"

He stopped and looked at her. She looked very appealing to him when she stood up tall with defiance. He watched the deer blood drip off her skin and glide down her legs. When he took a closer look, he realized that the wound he gave her had not yet healed. She was still leaking blood.

"I told you the first time was the worst," he grunted. The scent of the deer blood mingling with hers was exciting him. She growled and he saw her black eyes glitter with fury. She began to retreat from the clearing and he drew back his upper lip.

"Go back and leave me," she hissed in warning. She was about to turn to leave when she caught sight of something in his hand. He had killed a bird in his chase and had saved the heart. He smiled and held it out to her.

"Yes! You want this?" he said with a grin. She growled at her own weakness. The heart was fresh and still dripping blood. She took a step forward. He remained still. He wanted her to eat out of his hand. His thoughts of what to make her do next vanished when she snatched the heart from him and backed away quickly. He caught her by the hair and pulled her back.

"NO!" she howled. He held her fast and squeezed her until she stopped struggling. Then he smelled some of the damp blood on her neck and began to lick it off. He felt her gasp from the shock of sudden pleasure, and he began to lick off more of it. The taste drove him crazy, and he set his scythe aside to move her as he needed to. He made her face him and began to lick the blood off her breasts. She clung to him when the heat of his tongue left her breathless. He grinned and worked down to lick between her legs. When she tried to flee, he grabbed her and forced her still.

"You make me work this hard to keep you at my side, and I'll chain you to the wall!" he growled as he worked his tongue into her. She cried out at the pleasure that coursed through her, and she couldn't control the urge to grab him by the horns. He growled fiercely at the sudden feeling of his horns being tugged on, but he realized he sort of liked it. After a while, he removed his armored belt and began to take her.

"I…I…" she hissed against him. He snarled and began licking off blood that he missed. She finally cried out her passion when he roared out his. She felt the searing heat of him scorching her again, but this time it was actually pleasuring. He held her tightly to him and stumbled to his knees. His eyes were squeezed shut from the force of his release, and he was breathing heavily. He had never expected himself to succumb to such pleasure! He waited until his breathing lightened before sitting up straight. He opened his eyes slowly and found her clinging to him. He looked up at the cloudy sky and grimaced. He moved her slightly as he placed his armor back on. He picked up his scythe and put her over his shoulder. She was too weak from the pleasure to disobey him, and he began to move back to the portal.

He knew his way back by following the burned spots on the ground from his own passage. When he finally reached the hole in the ground, he jumped in eagerly. As he walked in, he saw new creatures training and making homes. He went back into the specially made room. A door was put in place of the damaged wall and he grumbled. She could break out again. He sat down in his throne and pulled her into his lap. He was awed at how her hair fell off the side of the chair like a thick carpet of the blackest night. When he thought of where he could put her, no ideas came to mind. He would have to hold her like this. There was no other choice.

"Excellent. You brought her back," Shade said as he appeared.

"Yes. A bit of a battle, though," Horny grumbled. He felt her tremble in his arms and he snorted. "But, she's back with me. That's all that matters."

"Is that dried blood on her?" Shade asked as he inspected her hair.

"Hmm? Yes. She killed a couple deer as she ran."

"How did she get most of the blood off? She couldn't have had time to bathe."

"I have acquired a new taste for her," he chuckled. Shade looked at him and started laughing. He understood that completely. There was a part of him that felt a touch jealous, but he pushed that thought aside easily.

"In that case, I'll leave you to get the parts you missed! There is an underground river not far from here. She can bathe there if you let her."

"Not now, that's for sure!" he snarled. Shade faded out. Saithe took a daring peek at Horny and found him deep in thought. She closed her eyes when she sensed him looking at her, and she felt his body tremble with rage. Yet, he did not hurt her. Instead, she felt his fingers outline a newly formed bruise on her side that she developed in her flight away from him. She winced when he pressed on it, and she gasped when she felt the roughness of his tongue on her skin again. She realized that his tongue reminded her of a cat's tongue, and a delicious thrill went through her. The door suddenly opened in front of them, and Horny looked up with a savage snarl.

"Eh?" a Dark Wizard said as he looked in. He vanished quickly and the door locked. Horny growled again and went back to licking her. He moved back down to her thighs and positioned her when he needed her to. She didn't know how many times she cried out, and she couldn't tell how much time went by when he finally finished with her. She was straddling his waist as she panted from his searing heat, and he was clasping her to him as he slept. She couldn't move an inch.

"What now?" she whispered to herself. When she tried to move, he growled deeply in his sleep and hugged her tighter. She was trapped. She decided to make the most of it. She relaxed her head on his chest and rested. She heard his thunderous heart beating and it made her crave fresh blood. She made a plaintive noise, and it jolted him out of sleep. Pleased to still find her in his lap, he smirked.

"Hmm?" he asked as he looked at her. She looked back at him and made a hissing sound. Then her belly growled. He grinned and released her. He watched her go over to the small chicken coop in the room and start desecrating chickens. When she sat down and began to rub the blood on her skin again, he smiled at the sight. He stood up tall and walked over to her. The sight and smell of it made him want her again. She managed to glance at him, and her eyes widened at his length. It was no wonder he hurt her so! He was at least thirteen inches long! And his girth was such that it could have ripped her in half! She couldn't believe how well she fared so far. She looked up at him and managed a light, nervous smile.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Why do you rub the blood on your skin? I don't mind it, but it does confuse me," he asked, as he squatted down next to her.

"I just like the feeling of the warmth," she said with a shrug.

"Don't I give you warmth?" he asked, as he began to lick off the blood.

"You do," she breathed. "I'm sorry I ran from you before."

"You didn't know what to expect from me. I didn't mind the exercise. Just don't do it again. I might bite!" he grinned as he began to grope her.

"Maybe I should rub human blood on me?" she giggled. He looked at her in thought. A slow, evil grin formed and he clamped a large hand on her rear.

"I think it would taste rather nicely," he said as he continued to lick off blood.

"I'll have to remember that for next time," she whispered as he pulled away from her. He took her quickly to remove his current lust, and she found it easier to bear. Her body was instinctively adjusting to him. When they both recovered, he replaced his armor and grabbed her arm to drag her with him. He could not trust her to walk next to him unattended, and he needed to ensure that she stayed close. He took her into the workshop and studied the Trolls. One of them looked at her a little too much for his liking, and he brandished his scythe to kill. It was plucked out by an invisible hand and spirited away. The creatures had then learned that Saithe was not for their viewing pleasure. He snorted and dragged her out of the workshop.

Horny walked with her a little more and they found the Torture Chamber. The red haired woman was there, and she got up from the rack she was torturing herself on.

"Horny!" she said with a thrilled voice. "Did you come to help me play?"

"No," he said flatly. "Just taking a stroll."

"Oh," she said with disappointment. She looked at Saithe and narrowed her eyes. She clearly didn't like the attention that was being given from the powerful demon.

"Look at her like that again, and I'll make sure you never see anything after that!" he seethed. She looked up at him with tears in her eyes.

"You were meant to be with me!" she pouted. "She isn't even fully one of us!"

"SILENCE!" he bellowed. Saithe tried to flee from him, but he held her arm firmly. He crushed her to him and growled dangerously.

"How could you do this to me?" she asked sadly.

"Because I can, and I just did!" he said with a grin and walked off with Saithe. As the forsaken Mistress watched them leave, she glowered with fury. She now had a grudge against the new girl. Horny continued to walk with Saithe as though nothing was wrong. They walked past the Prison and the Temple. They walked past several hallways until they got back to his chambers. The door locked behind him. After he released her, he said, "I'll let you wander in this room only. If you flee again, you'll wish we've never met! I have business to attend to. I'll be right back."

She watched him leave, and she sat on the ground. What could she do now? She saw his throne and shrugged. She hopped into the massive chair and decided to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

She woke to the sound of something banging on the door. Something was not right, and she began to fear the worst. Her fears were correct. The dungeon was being attacked again, and a massive barbarian brute knocked down the door.

"A girl? Trapped?" he said as he ogled her naked form. Her hair was barely covering her body, but she knew what she had to do.

"Shadows avenge me!" she hissed as she sat straight up. The darkness swarmed around the human and began to sink into him.

"What is this?!" he screamed as he felt his body deforming. When the shadows were done feasting, all that remained was his shadow trapped in the rest of the darkness. She grinned and ran out. The shadows swarmed and mingled about her as she searched for survivors. She was in luck. They had just started the attack. The creatures whooped with glee when the shadows cut down the enemy in seconds. Some humans melted into a pool of flesh and the monsters ate at it hungrily. She searched for Horny. She found him next to the massive, beating Heart. He had managed to keep it unscathed, but he had taken the full brunt of the attack. She knelt next to him and placed her hands on his face.

"Damned humans!" he seethed, as he grimaced from multiple wounds. "They know our exact location!"

"Then maybe we should move the force?" she asked. She opened her vein and let her blood drip on the demon's skin. He gasped from the feeling of his organs mending and his bones starting to snap back into place. He roared from the pain and suddenly stopped. She had sat down and pulled his head into her lap. He stared into her black, lightless eyes and felt swallowed by their lovely, endless depths. Her hair draped over him like a blanket, and he saw her smile coldly. He grinned at her. He was healed. She licked her wrist closed and placed her hands on her hips.

"I feel brand new," he grunted as he sat up to clutch her.

"Good," she smiled. "I think I finally grasped my powers at long last."

"Not a moment too soon, either," he growled. He saw a nearby human corpse and pulled it over with his scythe. He sliced it in half and pulled out the heart.

"We can be seen," she said, as she sank her teeth into the human heart.

"For once, I don't care!" he growled, as he sank his teeth into the other half of it. The blood spilled over her, and he licked it up eagerly. She groaned as he worked his tongue around her neck where the blood collected and began to work his way down. He placed his hand in the human's corpse and bloodied it. He began to drizzle the blood over her skin, and he licked up every drop.

"I think I know what to make my bed," she breathed. He stopped and looked at her. He snorted and licked a spot he missed by her ear.

"What is that?" he asked in the form of a husky whisper.

"Come back with me to our lair and I'll show you," she said with a smile. He growled, as he was not finished with her, but he was curious as to what she had in mind. He got up and pulled her to him. They walked quickly back to their room and he stood by his throne. She smiled and examined the bare carpet behind it.

A tub filled with blood appeared on the empty spot. The tub was actually an opened heart that was still beating. She sank herself down into it and smiled at the heated warmth that ebbed through the thick liquid. She drank her fill of it and even managed to bite along the edges of the tub. Blood spurted from her teeth marks but appeared to heal seconds after the attack. She put her whole head under the surface with a profound joy. She stood up and let the blood flow off her body. Her hair was left sticky and saturated. She let her hands roam over her skin with pure enjoyment.

Horny's eyes were wide with sudden lust at this and he thought of an idea. He removed all of his armor and sank into the tub with her. She noticed that the shoulder spikes were actually his own and not part of the armored shoulders. She smiled and pressed herself against him.

"This is nice," he mused.

"I don't think this heart is big enough," she breathed.

"Then I'll make room for it," he grinned as he reached for his scythe. The heart doubled in size at the threat, and they both chuckled. She had no idea as to how long they remained in her bed. She had no idea how much blood the heart pumped out. All that she knew was that Horny enjoyed her idealistic choice of bedding and began to show it. When he finally cleaned her up, she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Let me clean you up," she whispered. He looked at her rather oddly, but then he grinned as she began to lick him. He growled with pleasure when she began to clean his groin, and he put his hands in her hair. The blood stuck to them, and he hissed when her hands moved around to caress his waist. He ground his teeth together and pushed her head down on him fully when he reached his limit. He held her like that for several seconds before releasing her. She gasped from the swirl of heat he released down her throat, and it took her a moment to recollect herself.

"Now that was unexpected," he said with a smile. He let her hands roam up to the sides of his neck in a surprisingly gentle massage before she released him.

"I need to bathe in a riverbed," she sighed. "I can't stand my hair being like this. It needs to flow out like the unblinking darkness."

"I'll take you to a place I know of," he grumbled. He dressed and pulled her along by the arm. He led her to the river Shade spoke of and watched her dive into it. She cleaned out the blood that had dried and emerged feeling fresh and new. Horny managed to dry her hair completely by running his hands through it. The heat he gave off removed all the dampness that was there.

"What now?" she asked. They both heard cheering and whistling in the distance.

"I believe there is a fight happening in the Combat Pit. Let's see who the poor fools are," he said. She nodded and he led her there. They were able to push the crowd aside to look into the pit. The Mistress was fighting some sort of fat, legless, red demon. The creature had two horns sprouting from its head like Horny, but it had two spike ball and chain weapons swinging from them.

"Who is fighting?" she asked him.

"It's the Mistress and a Bile Demon," Horny muttered to Saithe.

"Give her the gas!" a Goblin cheered. The bile demon farted out a cloud and the Mistress choked on it before slapping his face hard. It knocked the demon out. She raised her clawed hand in victory as an Imp dragged the loser to bed.

"Who is next?!" the Mistress hissed. Horny snorted and was about to leave only to find Saithe plucked from his side. He growled with intense anger and everyone shushed. Saithe was placed in the pit.

"Get out of there!" he snarled.

"How?!" she asked. The Mistress grinned and brandished her claws. This was a chance for her to enact her grudge and get even. Saithe backed away fearfully and got knocked down by a bolt of lightning.

"GET OUT OF THERE!" Horny bellowed. Saithe tried to climb out, but she found nowhere to get a foothold. The Mistress hissed and slapped her face. Then Saithe stopped and looked at the woman. Her eyes burrowed into her rival's eyes and the Mistress gasped. She was being sucked down into those eyes of eternal blackness and could not pull her consciousness out of it.

Horny snarled, but then began to grin when he watched Saithe dish out blow after blow to the Mistress's body. She did powerful kicks and punches like she was taught until the woman was staggering. Then she did something that shocked herself.

"Shadows, hear me!" she spat. "Destroy my enemy!"  
Her body levitated from the help of shadows. Black, bat-like wings sprouted from her back, and a wickedly pointed tail lashed out to strike across the Mistress's face like a horrid whip. A breeze pushed back her black hair to reveal newly pointed ears, and her lips curled back to reveal pointed fangs. Her hair fanned out around her like a black circle of death that seemed to suck up any light the room offered. She raised her hands, and shadows flew from them like a rain of fire balls. They all hit the Mistress head-on.

Horny watched her in silence. The Mistress fell to the ground unconscious. The entire room was hushed to nothing. Rats skittered across the floor and made echoes down the hallways. Saithe had attained her true form to champion evil.

She found herself pulled out of the pit and back at Horny's side. She spat and flapped her wings to lift herself briefly before deciding to stand. Horny looked at her and narrowed his glowing eyes. It was a touch of new respect for his mate. She actually blinked and blushed slightly at it before letting the feeling fade.

"You are a Succubus. That explains your need for blood and the ability to call the shadows," he said with a smile. "That also explains why you are more powerful than the Mistress. I think you need to relax. Follow me."

She glared at him, hissed, and followed him. The creatures backed away from her when she looked at them. She snorted when a Troll fell unconscious for looking back at her. He couldn't handle the power of her gaze. Only Horny would be able to find solitude within it. She found herself in a Casino. Horny chased out any others that were there, and he led her over to the wall. He gave her a bottle of booze to drink. She sniffed it and took a sip. She got violently sick.

"What the hell is this?!" she scowled. "It's nasty!"

"What's this? You can't hold your liquor?" he laughed.

"It is not blood, you fool!" she snarled. He looked at her blankly. He bared his teeth and moved to strike her, but he looked at his outstretched arm in thought.

"Let's try an experiment," he growled. He drank several bottles down like nothing and scratched his arm open with his scythe. He grabbed her by the back of the head and pushed the wound to her lips. He felt her prick the wound to open it further, and he drank another bottle down. After several minutes, she pulled herself away from him and staggered to a card table. His blood was like a potent elixir that was enhanced by the alcohol. It tasted unlike anything she had ever imagined and she craved more of it. She was dizzy from it, but she was smiling.

"That's some good stuff!" she said, as she licked her lips clean.

"Interesting. You can only eat freshly slaughtered hearts and drink fresh blood. This is a rather strange form of food," he grumbled as his arm healed.

"A Succubus can be like a Vampire, right?" she asked. He looked at her and snorted. He leered at a Troll that tried to gamble and watched the creature leave with fright. He walked over to Saithe and began to lick her neck. She hissed and rubbed herself against him. She felt him feel along her back to examine the new wings, and he stopped only briefly when her tail curled along his thigh. He snarled and pulled her legs apart as his belt was removed. She placed her feet on his chest and arched her back while he thrust harshly into her. Every time he breached her womb, he was rewarded with a high pitched squeal. He snarled at any creature who tried to enter the Casino and made sure they left them in peace. She finally screamed and he buckled with a savage roar. He grabbed her hips to keep her from moving and he breathed deeply. He felt her tremble violently when he braced himself from the pleasure. With a sudden yawn, he backed away from her and replaced his armor.

He pulled her off the card table and began to teach her how to gamble. She caught on quickly, and they never noticed the other creatures start to filter back in. She walked over to a card game and dealt a hand. She won the jackpot.

"You won?" he smirked at her luck.

"I won!" she said as she jumped up and down. He smiled and watched the room dim. Music started playing and fireworks shot out. He took her to the Treasury. She picked up twenty-five thousand gold coins.

"It's a whole payroll," he mused. "Let's head back."

She agreed and he hefted the large sack over his shoulder with ease. When they reached her bed, she hollowed out an extra chamber and stored the gold inside it. With that done, she looked at him and asked, "Think this will work?"

"Clever," he said. "This way there is some extra cash when needed. I like it!"

"I'll stay here for a while. You go and scour for humans," she said. He nodded and moved to hug her. They looked at each other in shock. He turned and walked away. At that, she had her eyes wide and whispered, "Oh, no! Is he…in love with me?"

She stared at the ground after that for quite some time. She knew that she loved him the moment she saw him, but she was too wise to say it aloud. If he learned to love her in return, she knew he would never truly be the same to others. She walked back over to his throne and studied the massive structure. The bones were polished white and bound together with sinewy threads. A giant skull sat on top of it. The armrests were arms with hands, and the legs were actual legs with feet. She smiled and sat in it again. When the door opened, she looked at the intruder.

"Am I disturbing you?" the Mistress asked as she walked in.

"No. Why?"

"I just wanted to congratulate you, myself, for defeating me. Not many can."

"Fine. Now leave."

"Not yet. I have news about Horny."

"What news?" Saithe asked skeptically.

"Meet me in front of the Torture Chamber in five minutes. I'll tell you there."

She watched the Mistress leave. She had a very awful feeling that it was a trap, but she decided to let Horny do the punishing. She jumped off the chair and found her way to the Torture Chamber. On walking in, she said, "What news do you have?"

"Glad you could make it," the Mistress grinned and tackled her. Saithe fought back, but the woman was prepared. She soon had Saithe strapped down to a rack.

"Let me go!" Saithe snarled.

"I can't do that," she seethed. She took out a whip and began to strike her.

"I'm warning you!" Saithe shouted as she was struck over and over.

"What are you going to do about it? You can't get up!"

"But _I_ am up!" Horny growled and backhanded the Mistress into a wall. "I warned you to stay away from Saithe!"

"Um…" she said before she got backhanded again. "Ow! I just thought that with her out of the way we could be together again!"

"You idiot! Did you really think that I would let _you_ of all the creatures here be with me? I practically have to rape Saithe to get what I want!" Horny sneered. He struck the Mistress again and she fled.

"I tried to warn her," Saithe grumbled.

"And I warned you that if you left that room you would wish we never met, didn't I?" he growled. He looked on the table near the wall and picked up a riding crop.

"You wouldn't dare!" she howled.

"Watch me!" he jeered as he struck her with it.

"I never fled!" she cried out. "That bitch told me she knew information about you and to meet you here! I never thought she would have tricked me!"

"You fool! You humiliated her in the Combat Pit and pushed her out of my eyes! You didn't think that you would have been tricked?!" he snarled as he hit her again.

"Stop, Horny!" Shade said as he appeared.

"Stay out of this!" he growled.

"I won't!" he snapped. "She speaks the truth!"

Horny growled savagely and broke the crop in half. He stormed out of the room. Shade looked at his daughter and clucked his tongue.

"Father…" she said with a soft frown.

"You knew this would have happened," he chided as he freed her.

"I just knew the Mistress was going to get her just desserts. I did not expect Horny to lash out at me!" she spat. She rubbed the spots the crop hit her and traced the red lines from the whip. She got up and stretched out her wings with irritation.

"You did well in the Combat Pit. I was not expecting this form to appear from you," he said as he watched her. "Is there anything you want right now?"

"I want to be left alone," she whispered. She walked out of the room and lost herself in thought. She found an abandoned corner in a hallway and sat down. For the first time in her life she broke down into tears. She was at a loss of what to say or do. Her mate was truly a short fuse, but she did not care about that. He did not trust anyone else, but she knew he was beginning to trust her. She didn't like that. He had to stay away from her. She was changing him, and they both knew it. At the need to know, she whispered, "Shadows…please give me the truth."

The light faded at the shadow's touch and covered her in a comforting blanket. She heard that her fears were correct, and that she should try to leave the dungeon again. She needed to try and run as far away as she could. They protected her while she cried again and muffled her cries to the world. After several more minutes, they alarmed her that humans were close. She rose up and the fiery spirit of battle took place. She started to prepare herself, but they caught her by surprise.

"Put a circle of light on this one!" a Dwarf shrieked. She hissed and killed him on the spot, but found herself glowing.

"NO!" she screamed. She found herself levitated and pushed into a tight ball. The light kept her shadows from her. She heard a Wizard chuckling in the background.

"What do we have here, eh?" he said as he studied his catch. "What? Lilith?!"

"You lived?!" she hissed. It was the village Wizard. She was trapped.

"Look at what those vile creatures have done to you!" he said. "I'll fix you right away! I have the ability to remove the evil taint from you. Now, where is my scroll…?"

"NO!" she shouted. "If you do, I'll surely die! It's a curse and bound to my life!"

"A curse?" he gasped. "Who did this to you?"

"A red demon with great horns in his head," she lied smoothly. "He did this to me! I was about to hunt him down in vengeance, but you caught me! If you release me, I can see about killing him to free myself."

"I'm sorry, but I can't release the spell from this shield. The only way it can be released is if someone confessed their undying love to you. It is the purest spell I had!" he said. "If Clyde were here…"

"He's dead. I saw him killed, myself, some time back," she said bluntly. The Wizard sighed miserably.

"Then you are stuck here until someone comes to love you."

"You have got to be joking!" she said with shock.

"I wish I wasn't! I'll take you back to my base. The light shield will keep you from harm," he said as he muttered an incantation. The circle moved with the Wizard and she panicked. Horny was definitely going to be _very_ pissed off.


	7. Chapter 7

"Where is she?!" Horny scowled as he searched for her.

"Let me listen to the shadows," Shade offered. Horny growled, but he nodded his head. Shade mumbled in trance and then began to sputter.

"What?!" Horny demanded.

"The humans from her old village have her!" he fumed. "They have her encased in a ball of light!"

"WHAT?!" Horny shrieked.

"There were survivors!" Shade explained. "An old Wizard managed to keep others alive here!"

"I'll slaughter them all!" he snarled. "If they touched her…"

Shade watched the demon slather and narrow his eyes with vengeance. Shade pointed in her direction and they gave chase. Other creatures they passed took notice of this and knew a war was afoot. They gathered weapons and followed them. Several more followed and a force was rallied. They found the human encampment past a riverbed. It appeared to be well-guarded.

"Let me sneak in first!" Shade said. "I'll tell you what I see and where the weakest line of defense is!"

"Be quick!" Horny ordered. Shade nodded and vanished. After what seemed like an eternity, Shade came back grinning.

"Saithe has used her charm spells well. They are fighting amongst each other! Let's attack!" Shade bellowed. Horny screamed bloody murder as he charged, and the others cried out their war cries.

"The darkness is coming!" the Wizard shouted. The Knights were too busy fighting with each other to hear him. The Wizard looked at Saithe and saw her grinning.

"You are out of your league, old man!" she hissed.

"You were evil all this time!" he said as he scowled. "You knew this would happen! All that time in the village…you knew what you were and stayed hidden!"

"I'm the daughter of a Shadow Demon, old man!" she crowed. "You will die well! My Father will make sure of it!"

The Wizard stuttered, but he knew he could not hurt her. The light shield would prevent him. He smiled as he knew she would at least remain trapped for the rest of her days, and he ran towards the battle to help his townsmen.

"Wizard!" Horny snarled as he cut down a Knight.

"Red Demon! Die!" the Wizard shouted as he hurled a fire ball. Horny batted it back at him, and the old man was struck down by his own magic. When the fighting was over, the creatures parted back to their lairs. Horny walked forward and found Saithe in the ball of light. He tried to hack at it, but his scythe passed right through it.

"Father, I need you to leave," Saithe said. Shade looked at her with a rare look of surprise. Horny glared at him and he vanished. Then she looked at her mate and said, "Horny, I…I want you to leave, too."

"No," he said flatly. "I fought here to get you."

"You don't understand," she said. "If you release me, then you will never be yourself. Don't you know this?"

"I…I do know," he admitted. "I didn't want to believe it at first, but I know."

"I don't want you to free me. Go!" she urged. "I can't let you change!"

"I'm not going anywhere! That Wizard told you something. What was it?"

She hesitated, but told him how the light shield would disperse. Horny snarled and shook his head. She was right about him changing. He couldn't help her, yet he couldn't leave her, either. He thought long and hard about the situation, and he made several realizations that seemed to make sense to him. He turned his back to her and heard her sigh sadly. He already regretted beating her in the Torture Chamber. He had promised himself that he would make amends when he searched for her. He ground his teeth with frustration and howled. It was one of his most chilling howls, and it penetrated the very core of the earth. He came to a decision and had to vent his rage.

"Please," she whispered. "Leave! Preserve yourself!"

"I…" he growled as he looked at the ground hard. "I…love…you…"

"NOO!" she cried as the ball exploded around her, and she dropped harshly to the ground. Her hair soaked up the last rays of light the ball shed, and she burst into tears. He turned suddenly and looked down at her. He realized that she didn't want him to love her. She was afraid of what would happen to him. The ball would only have released her if the confession was true. If he lied it would have done nothing.

"Saithe…" he sighed.

"Why?!" she asked as she looked at him. He gazed into her eyes and fell into their black depths. She made him forget his sorrows and worries. She made him feel happy. There was no other way to explain it.

"Because," he whispered. "It's the truth."

She watched him shrug and look away. She shivered from the lack of warmth and found herself in his arms. She grabbed him by the horns and pulled his head into her chest. He grumbled something and hugged her tighter.

"What?" she asked.

"I would have killed anyone who dared to touch my horns," he growled. "However, I will make one exception."

"It's a sign of weakness. Of submission, right?" she asked. He sighed.

"Yes. You are right. I can't think of anyone other than you doing this."

"You aren't going to beat me?" she asked.

"I am already torturing myself for what I did earlier!" he snarled. "You know of my temper and how it can get out of control!"

"Well, sometimes it is needed," she whispered. He held her with his head spinning with thoughts. Most of them were conflicting. They both started laughing when they heard the death cries of the humans sputtering around them, and she whispered into his slightly pointed ear. He grinned greatly and carried her over to the Wizard. He was still alive, but unable to move or speak. At the sight of him, she hissed out, "Look, old man! I'm free of your spell!"

"And now you die!" Horny snarled and wrenched out the Wizard's heart. The human screamed and died shortly after. They both feasted on it and licked the blood off each other. He sat her on his knee as he kneeled down to lick her skin clean.

"You know, I have to tell you something," she whispered.

"Hmm?" he muttered as he licked her breasts.

"Ever since I first saw you, I had fallen in love with you."

He snapped his head up to look at her.

"Are you serious?!"

"Yes. I just never said anything because I couldn't. It wouldn't have been right."

"If I had known, I would have ignored you. Maybe you should have told me."

"I doubt you would have ignored me. I intrigued you too much!"

"You still do," he grumbled. They looked at each other and he kissed her. The only other time he did that was when he made Clyde look like a fool. She felt swept up by him, and her hands strayed from his horns to the sides of his face. He growled and stood up tall with her in his arms. He surveyed the dead and grinned. He began to carry her back to his lair. The moment they touched familiar soil, they were both plucked and dropped into his chair.

"Who _is_ that?!" she asked with irritation.

"That is the Keeper. This is his dungeon, and it is his Heart that you saved," he said. He began to explain how the dungeon worked. As she began to understand, he told her more about what normally happens.

"The village is destroyed up above!" she said.

"We are seeking to conquer the castle," he replied. "The Keeper was the one that put you into the Combat Pit. Apparently, he knew that your powers would be awakened with a touch of experience. He tends to know such things. He slaps around anyone he likes, except for me. He knows I'll destroy his force. Do your part, and he won't harm you. You already saved his Heart, so I think he is holding a bit of favor for you in the form of gratitude. I have an allegiance with him because he is the most successful at destruction. I choose to work for him."

After a moment of silence, gold coins showered over them. She squealed with protest, but he smiled and saluted the ceiling.

"Your payment?" she asked.

"Only another five thousand," he grinned. She collected the coins and stashed them away. He chuckled at that.

"You know, I could resume my human form and visit the castle with news of the village under attack," she thought. "I can get them roused with false information, and you can attack from under their feet."

He laughed heartily at this and pulled her back into his lap.

"That is not a bad idea at all! Have them focus their forces in opposite directions! It would completely catch them off-guard!"

"I would need you to beat me. It would help my disguise."

He grimaced. She looked at him with her brows raised.

"I guess I have changed. I hit you before without mercy," he growled.

"Have the Mistress do it then," she said. "Or my Father. He can beat me whenever he likes."

"He'd better not do it in the same room as me!" he snorted.

"True, but it would help me. You should do it. It is your nature to hurt others, as well as yourself," she said sweetly. He growled and kissed her. His hands strayed to her rear and squeezed ruefully. He muttered as her hands went back up to his horns. He looked at her seriously.

"I honestly thought I had lost you," he rumbled. "And for the very first time in my life since I could even remember…I was afraid."

"Afraid of what?" she asked softly.

"I was afraid of losing you," he hissed and kissed her again. "Maybe you shouldn't go. We can send the Mistress."

"With her attitude? No, it would have to be me," she said. He growled at that and pushed his face against her neck. His eyes gazed to a chicken that wandered out of its pen, and he skewered it with his scythe. She grinned and plucked out the heart. He tossed the carcass away and sucked the blood off her fingers. She held a piece of heart with her teeth, and he shook his head at her. Then, to her surprise, he took the morsel with his own mouth. Even he blinked and sighed at his action.

"I need to walk around the dungeon," he grunted as he moved her. She nodded and he managed to hug her tightly to him.

"I am not moving a muscle from your chair or my bath!" she said.

"Good. I'll be back later," he said. When he left, she stepped into her warm bath and sank down into the pulsating mass. She ate her fill of it and smiled when she was drenched in the spurting blood. When she began to relax, her father appeared.

"So, he loves you now?" he mused.

"Please keep quiet!" she growled. "I didn't want it to happen! So, shut it!"

"That's no way to speak to your father!" he snapped. "Besides, I wouldn't tell anyone but the shadows. They know already, anyways."

"The shadows or the creatures?"

"The shadows," he grumbled. He dipped his finger into the heart and smiled.

"What?" she asked.

"Tell me what you were planning to do at the castle," he said. She sighed and told him what she was thinking of doing.

"And you need someone to beat you?"

"I was thinking about it," she admitted. He gazed at her long and hard in thought.

"I have an idea."

"Oh?" she asked. "Care to share the thought?"

"It would help if I showed you," he said, as he got into the tub with her. Needless to say, she freaked out. This was her father! What was he thinking?!

"What are you doing?!" she spat.

"Something I've been wanting to do!" he snarled and held her arms away from her sides. He was glad that he was able to grip her blood-coated skin. It was easy to find the right places on her to hold her down. She couldn't summon any shadows, since he was the superior. He began to pry her legs open with his own.

"Stop it!" she hissed. She tried to flap her wings, but he outmaneuvered her by a long shot. He planted a hot kiss on her mouth and she fumed with rage.

"All is well…WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Horny bellowed at the scene.

"Horny!" she screamed. "Help me!"

"Get off of her!" he snarled and moved to punch Shade. His target vanished and he hit Saithe instead. The blow knocked her unconscious and she sank into the blood. He pulled her out by the hair to keep her from drowning and set her on the floor. "Saithe! Are you all right? Damn it!"

"Bravo! You hit her!" Shade cheered.

"You son of a bitch!" Horny hissed and tried to swipe at him with his scythe. Shade faded out and remained untouched.

"Oh, come on! By the time she wakes up she'll have a nice bruise on her face. It will look perfect!" he said. "I'm only trying to help."

"Shut up!" Horny spat and lunged again. Shade faded again and was unscathed.

"I'll take my leave now!" he said and bowed while he vanished. Horny went to Saithe's side and wiped the blood off her face. His blow struck her in the temple. She was out cold. Horny looked at the ceiling as though in a silent fury. A soft glow surrounded her, and she woke slowly.

"Ugh…" she whispered. "What…"

"You've been healed by the Keeper. You may still feel groggy," he said. He explained what happened and she shuddered horribly.

"He tried to rape me to get you to attack me?" she asked. "Why would he do such a thing?! It doesn't make sense!"

"It makes perfect sense to me!" he seethed. "The bastard was going to purposely rape you to make me attack him. He phases out and I hit you instead. He's trying to get me to beat you again. Wrong way to go about it!"

She trembled and clung to him. He gazed into her black eyes again and felt himself falling in them. He could never get enough of the sensation. Her hair was matted with blood, and he picked her up to carry her. He took her to the riverbed and let her wash herself off. He took her back and found Shade sitting in his chair.

"Welcome back!" he said cheerfully.

"Get out of my throne!" Horny said dangerously.

"But I thought we could share!" Shade said with a grin. Horny narrowed his eyes and knew what he was talking about.

"You are my Father! What's wrong with you?!" Saithe asked.

"You have no idea how hard it was for me to keep myself from spoiling you!" Shade growled. "I had to do everything I could to hold myself back! That night I saw you lying in the meadow nude and covered with blood was nearly my undoing!"

"You are an idiot!" Horny snarled. Shade got up and walked towards her tub.

"Maybe we should settle this in another way," he mused. "Maybe in the Combat Pit? Winner takes all?"

"No!" Saithe said.

"Why not? It will show us who the better is!" Horny hissed. Shade snapped his fingers, and Saithe found herself overlooking the Combat Pit. Horny and Shade were in the center and had begun to attack each other.

"Stop it!" she screamed while other monsters cheered them on. Horny attacked with pure hatred and anger while Shade attacked with amusement. She watched them spar with sparks flying off nothing and flames keeping shadows at bay. Finally she could take no more of it. She turned and fled. When she did this, both creatures looked up and realized what they had done. Shade doubled over suddenly and gasped. Horny stopped himself just as his scythe was ready to slice the Shadow Demon in half.

"The humans…" Shade whispered. "They cursed me…"

"What?!" Horny said.

"I found an encampment of humans not long ago! They made a spell that can cast charm on shadows!" Shade said with regret. "My daughter! Oh, what have I done?!"

"We," Horny said. "Need to find those humans and slaughter them before Saithe runs into them!"

Shade nodded and focused on the shadows to find her.

"She's gone," he whispered. "The shadows are hiding her!"

"What?!" Horny spat.

"She called on the shadows to hide her from harm!" Shade said. "They are pitying her situation and are ignoring my orders!"

"So we have to find her by luck?!"

"Not we. YOU have to find her by luck!" Shade said. "They'll move her away from me. Not from you."

Horny managed to slap Shade hard and left the area to find his mate. Shade grinned and knew he deserved it.


	8. Chapter 8

She was wrapped in the comforting darkness. The shadows soothed her and whispered secrets to her. They hid her from the prying eyes of the living and shrouded her with death. She was afraid of what would happen, but she was relieved when the shadows told her Shade was just enchanted. He never wanted to hurt her.

"Can I go back to them?" she whispered. A sorrowful feeling filled her. She couldn't. It wouldn't be safe. At a look of panic, she whispered, "But, Horny…"

The shadows filled her with comfort. They will make sure Horny found her. They placed her in the Treasury and scattered coins in places where Horny could find them. It should be an easy clue for him to pick up.

"Where could they be hiding her?" he grumbled. He searched the ground and stopped short. He found a gold coin on the ground. He went to the Casino and felt along the walls. She was likely invisible. If anyone looked at him, he glared at them. They went about their business quickly. He found another coin. As he got closer to the Treasury, he kept finding coins. He finally picked up on it and rushed into the Treasury. He sniffed the air and looked around. He growled and stalked the corners. He finally reached out and grabbed something solid. At his touch, the shadows revealed her.

"Horny!" she breathed and hugged him.

"Saithe!" he whispered and felt her tug on his horns. He growled and licked her neck. She kissed the side of his face.

"I thought you'd never find me!" she said. "I had the shadows hide me, and I had no idea they would have done this…"

"Your father…"

"I know. The shadows told me everything. If I stayed and watched the fight, something might have happened. I don't like running from my problems, but…"

"It's fine for this once," he rumbled. "I don't think anyone should run from their problems, either. The one time you did stopped something hideous from happening. Just don't do that anymore...unless the situation calls for it. Like this one."

"I would never run from you, Horny. Never again," she smiled, and he hugged her tighter. He released her and let her walk with him.

"Let's head back to our room," he said. She nodded. He finally trusted her enough to let her walk alongside him as an equal. He snarled at an Imp and kicked it down the hall. She laughed and he grinned at her. It felt so good to be bad! They got to their room and he pulled her close.

"You have a short fuse," she chided.

"I'll lengthen it a little for you," he grumbled. She smiled and felt his hands move over her body. She grabbed his horns and pulled his head down. He brushed her hair away from her chest and he removed his belt. He pulled her legs over his waist and supported her rear with his hands. She sucked in her breath when she slid onto him. Her wings spread out for balance, and her tail wrapped around his waist. He snarled and lost himself in her eyes. He collapsed to his knees and was surprised to find her pushing him onto the ground. He was going to resist, but he hissed instead at the sight of her body arching on top of him. He ground his teeth and snarled at her cold smile. He moved with her and found himself grunting from the strain.

"Not this time! It's my turn!" she snarled at him and pressed her hips against his. His eyes went wide from the sudden act, and he reached up to grab her breasts.

"I'm going to get your nipples pierced!" he growled.

"Why is that?" she asked, as she ran her fingernails down his chest.

"Think of it as a sign of being branded!" he grinned.

"Should I get my belly button pierced, too?" she asked.

"I don't see why not. A little gemstone there…maybe a silver horned skull hanging here…" he muttered as he pinched her nipples. She screeched at him and looked down at what he did. He had actually pierced her nipples with silver horned skulls that had small fangs. They were done completely in his skull's likeness.

"How did you do that?!" she hissed.

"Easy as this," he grinned and pinched the top of her belly button. She shrieked from the brief pain and found a gemmed loop there. The black onyx winked in the silver setting. He looked at her and grinned his approval. He placed his hands on her hips and began to thrust into her sharply. She cried out and bucked back onto him. The sight of her pierced breasts turned him on horribly, and he lost whatever hold he had. She gasped at his release, and she looked down at him. He sighed and looked away.

"What is it?" she asked.

"The castle idea you have. I like it, but I don't want you to be involved."

"It must be done, somehow. I am the only one with the required temperament. I'm going to ask you a question."

"What?" he asked, as he looked at her with narrowed eyes.

"Do you trust me enough to let me do this on my own?"

He sat up and looked at her. He was uncertain. He traced her cheek with a clawed finger. She pushed his finger away and glared at him. He finally said, "It's not that I don't trust you! I just worry that you'll get hurt!"

"You are being a pussy."

"What?!" he growled. She looked at him and put her hands on her hips.

"You are. If you can't let me do something to let the castle crumble faster, then what's the point?"

"I know you're right. I just don't want you to get hurt!"

"I can control the shadows to hide me, remember?" she asked, as she poked him in the temple. He growled, but he looked at her evenly.

"Why must you keep doing this to me?"

"Because you are no longer a bad ass! You're a wuss!"

"I should slap you!"

"Then do it!" she scowled. He slapped her. She looked at him and smiled. "Do it again. I dare you!"

He slapped her again. He looked at her and grinned. She gave him back his ability to hit her if needed. When she grinned back, he looked at her oddly. She slapped him. He looked at her with a sneer, and he shoved her off of him.

"Go to the castle at sunset," he said.

"And when I get there?" she asked.

"Tell the king the army is massing in the East."

"Will you come from the West?"

"No. We will come out from his dungeon prison under his nose!"

"Good. It's about time you started feeling like your old self."

"Just remember. If anything happens to you, I'm slaughtering anything that moves! I don't care what it is!"

"Well, that goes without saying. I'll send shadows to you when I start exploring the castle so you know every weakness to exploit. Just try not to slice up too many hearts. I might get hungry."

He grinned and pulled on one of her skulls. She shrieked and slapped his hand away. With a scowl he took a wandering chicken and crushed it in his hand. She watched him and smiled. He threw the chicken away and looked at her.

"I think you should leave now."

"Beat me up first," she said. He growled and glared at her.

"I'm not in the mood."

"Pussy whipped bastard! Human fool!" she spat. He looked at her with a deadly intent. He watched her stand up and let her wings sink into her back. Her tail seemed to melt down as well. When she turned to summon the shadows, he dragged her back down by her hair. She screamed as he slapped her all over with his burning temper. When he finished, he hissed at what he did. She was barely able to breath from the way she was coughing up her blood and he grimaced.

"You pissed me off a bit more than my liking," he muttered. "Can you move?"

"That…was too…much…" she gasped. He kissed her forehead gently and watched her vanish. The shadows would deliver her personally to the castle's front gate at sunset. He stood up and replaced his armor. He grinned and decided to smack around anyone not working.


	9. Chapter 9

She reached the massive gates in seconds and saw the sun setting. She was wearing a tattered brown cloak, and she stumbled to the ground weakly.

"Who goes there?!" a guard cried out.

"I am a girl from the village to the East!" she cried. "We were attacked!"

"Let her in!" he called out to another guard. The gates opened wide and she was carried in. She could barely walk as it was.

"Let's have a look," the first guard said as he studied her face. "She's beaten up pretty badly! Take her to the healer!"

She felt herself get lifted and rushed to the medical wing of the castle. The old healer looked at her with great concern and began to heal the worst parts of her beating. She was glad he did not have to work on bare flesh, as she did not want her skulls revealed. That would have destroyed everything.

"This is the most awful thing I have ever seen!" he grumbled, as he started healing the smaller bruises.

"I was captured by demons," she whispered. "They did such horrible things to me…I don't want to remember them!"

"I see. Well, you are perfectly safe here," he said.

"No! I'm not! I overheard their plans! They are going to swarm this place!" she said with a mocked fear.

"What?! That's impossible!" the healer said. "Surely they are going to dig up from the ground beneath us…"

"No, they're not!" she said in a rush. "They said you'd be expecting it! They were going to try a night attack above ground!"

"My God…" he breathed. "I must notify the king right away! You are healed now, child. One of the servants will bring you to a bed chamber for you to dress. You will be led to the king afterwards."

She nodded and watched him leave. She snickered silently at how easy this was. A man came in wearing brown peasant garb and bowed to her. She nodded and he took her to a bottom floor guest room. A big silver bathtub was filled with fresh, scented water, and several maids were ready to help her dress.

"Um, can I bathe alone please?" she whispered. "I never had the opportunity to bathe alone since my attack!"

"Surely, miss," a maid said with a smile. They all left. She made sure the door was bolted and she covered the windows. She pulled the tattered cloak off and sank into the heated water. She scrubbed off all the filth and dirt she could. She looked at her skulls and grumbled. She would have to hide them with extra padding. She hoped the dress would have extra ruffles on the bust area. She scrubbed her hair clean and stood up to let the water run off her. She found a nearby drying cloth and dried herself.

"Now, where is the dress they want me to wear?" she growled as she searched. She found it on the massive bed and raised her brow. They had given her a silver and black corset dress with short sleeves. The skirt was full and reached the ground easily. When she put it on, she unbolted the door and summoned a maid to help her finish it. At a first glance, the maid knew what had to be done.

"This dress suits you!" the maid said with a pleased tone.

"It's been so long since I had a decent dress. I never had one as fine as this, though," Saithe admitted.

"Oh, it was Prince Jonas's idea. He saw you carried in and decided to help you out with your clothes."

"Really? Then I must thank him personally," she said with a mildly sarcastic tone in her voice. The maid looked at her strangely but shrugged it off. The dress gave her a drastic cleavage, but the ruffles covered up the skulls nicely. The maid never saw them.

She fixed up Saithe's hair into a spiraled braid that gently reached the floor. At a second glance, the maid looped the braid into a soft bun to keep her hair from dragging on the floor, but it let the hair stay long. After a final approving glance, she led Saithe to the throne room where she was being expected.

"Ah! Our young maiden in distress," the king said joyfully. "You look much better now. I'm glad you are safe."

"I'm glad I was able to make it here in time. I thought I was going to die," she said quietly. The room was filled with noblemen and noblewomen, but she did not care about them. She did notice a brown haired, blue eyed man of medium build staring at her. He was wearing dark green clothes of royal standards. She judged that he must be Prince Jonas. She smiled at him and watched his eyes widen.

"Jonas! Quit staring at her! You are betrothed!" the king snapped. She giggled and batted her eyes at the Prince. Hell, she'd seduce him to break his heart!

"But, Sire, is she not the fairest maiden you've ever seen?" Jonas asked. "Please, what is your name?"

"My name?" she crooned. "It's…Lilith."

The room gasped.

"Lilith? The same Lilith that Clyde spoke of when he trained here?" the prince asked. She nodded greatly.

"However, I s-saw him…killed," she said with a stammer. "He had just come home to claim me as his bride, and his head got lopped off by a demon!"

The room went into a flurry of angered exclamations. The king rose his hand and the room went quiet.

"He will be missed greatly. He was one of the greatest Knights here," the king sighed. "All of our Squires thought of him as a legend when he left our halls."

"Apparently, he was not great enough," she said sadly. She even let a tear fall from her cheek to make them think she missed the blond idiot. Her plan worked to perfection. The room rumbled louder.

"We will make sure that your safety is a direct order!" Jonas said.

"Miss Lilith," the healer said. "Were you raped during your ordeal?"

"I…I was!" she said. "Why?"

"You may be pregnant with evil spawn," the healer said. The room went silent.

"Can you remove it?!" she asked. The healer shook his head.

"I tried and something repelled my magic. Apparently only the same evil that gave you the child can remove it."

Jonas went white with fury. He vowed to help her in any way he could. Saithe was distraught. She didn't want children! She was sure that Horny didn't, either. He would have to help her remove the unwanted fetus. She just trembled at how he would do it. Jonas saw her tremble and took it as a sure sign of fear.

"Please," Jonas said as he stepped up to her. "Let me escort you around the castle. I would enjoy showing you the grounds. If I may?"

"I would be honored," she said with a polite curtsey. She noticed that he took this time to study her ample cleavage, and she sneered to herself. Disgusting whelp! She would have fun ripping out his heart!

He smiled and offered his arm, which she took slowly. He began to give her a grand tour of the castle. She made note of every room and sent the shadows off with mental commands. The castle was well fortified except for the stable grounds and the servant rooms. The only reason was that they were near the middle of the castle. They were to be already well protected from attack.

"Then there is the dungeon," the prince grimaced. "We don't really use them anymore except for common thieves. Normally, a night there with the rats tends to turn their minds around fairly quickly."

"I can tell," she said. He looked at her in thought and took her up to the watch tower. The full splendor of the last rays of the setting sun turned her pale skin to a warm gold, and she shuddered at the horror of it.

"May I ask you something?" he asked.

"Surely."

"I have never fallen in love at first sight before. I can tell why Clyde did the same when he was younger."

"To tell the truth, I never loved him. He tried to rape me when I was a child."

"He what?!" he spat.

"Yes. I told him to leave me in peace and he refused. I managed to flee from him, and I could never trust him again. I had actually refused his marriage proposal. He swore that he would do whatever he had to in order to keep me at his side. I felt like a…a common dog! I could never love someone who would treat me as such."

At first, he wasn't sure of her words. Then he saw how serious she was and how her eyes clearly portrayed only the truth. He was outraged that the most honorable Knight that graced their halls would stoop to such discord over a woman.

"I would never hurt you," he said. She looked at him and smiled.

"I know you wouldn't. But, you should not waste your time with me. I need to sleep now. Fair thee well until morning," she said gracefully. He raised her hand and pressed it to his lips before releasing it.

"Have a good night," he smiled and watched her leave.

"How charming!" she sneered when she was away from him. "I'll tell my mate of this, and he will cut his lips off!"

She was hungry and found her way to the stables. When she was offered a place at the table earlier, she had declined saying she had a headache. She looked at the horses and sensed their fear. They knew what she was. They bucked with their ears back, and she made her way to the king's prized black charger. She grinned and revealed her fangs. She took the dress off carefully and walked around the stable. The horse whinnied loudly with fright and kicked the walls.

"Such a fighting spirit!" she breathed. She summoned a shadow, and it paralyzed the horse. She grinned at the trapped beast and walked into the stable. The massive horse trembled as her hands touched the hide. She worked her hands around until she found the thunderous heart working. With a hiss, she ripped the horse open. The beast tried to scream in pain, but the shadow took away its voice. With agony, the horse died as she feasted on the heart. When she was done, she cleaned herself off in the horse trough and placed her dress back on. She let the shadows spirit her back into her room.

"That was yummy!" she grinned. She stretched and yawned. She shrieked as a massive hand clamped over her mouth and another hand pulled her against a rock hard chest. Horny had found his way to her and had already removed his armor.

"What is this?!" he snarled with disgust at the dress. He ripped it off her and threw it on the ground. He studied her hair, and he undid the braid to let it go free. He looked at the large, soft bed and grumbled his disapproval. He saw the deer skin rug and grinned. He pushed her onto it and began to lower himself onto her.

"There is something…you must know," she gasped as he licked her neck.

"What?" he rumbled.

"I'm pregnant!" she hissed. He got up slightly to look at her with shock.

"They couldn't remove it?!" he snarled.

"Only you can. The healer tried, and his magic was repelled."

Horny thought and placed a hand on her belly. He felt his offspring moving silently and he snarled. He didn't want children yet, either.

"This is going to hurt. A lot!" he growled. She nodded and braced herself. He placed a finger into her and worked his whole hand in. She ground her teeth from the pain and seethed with anger. She felt him cut her womb open with a claw and she gasped. Her body was trembling from the horrific pains, and he placed his free hand onto her to push her down. He ripped the fetus free from her womb and held it aloft. With a snarl he focused on the fireplace, and it burst into flames. He threw the fetus into the fire and watched it burn.

When that was done, he licked his hand clean of her blood and saw her breathing heavily. He had an idea. He pulled her hips up to his face and forced his tongue in as deep as it would go. He heard her shriek with surprise, and he felt her arch away from him. His tongue had just breached the very insides of her ravaged womb, and he enjoyed the way she writhed away from him. A moment later, he retracted his tongue and he shoved himself into her. She shrieked from another pain when he breached her womb again. He ravaged her body with his hands while he pummeled into her. She grabbed onto his horns and wrapped her legs around his waist. He felt her skulls pushing against his own two piercings, and he lost all forms of control.

He grunted at his release and collapsed onto her. She was breathing heavily again and he licked her neck. The fiery seed he released into her made her feel like she was being ravaged by his hand all over again, and she had to keep from whimpering.

"Your shadows told me of a prince," he snarled. "He is in love with you?"

"I was hoping you'd help me rip him to pieces," she whispered. He grinned at the thought and nodded. It would be fun to do that.

"Actually, it would be more fun letting the Mistress torture him. If he converted, we could get him to slay his own father," he said aloud in thought.

"That would be very intriguing," she said in agreement. He smiled and began to lick the sweat off her body.

"We should attack now," he grunted.

"Actually, give it one more night. I just killed the king's prized war horse. I want the confusion to start before I kill the servants off," she mused. He looked at her and started laughing. He agreed. He was moving to take her again when he heard a hushed whisper. He snapped his head around to glare at the noise. A servant had entered the room silently to replace a candle and stared at the scene.

"Miss?" the man asked. When he saw her smile, he knew the truth. He ran to the door, but Horny's scythe cut him down easily. She pulled out the man's heart and feasted on it. The blood was licked off her quickly and she heard him snarl. He didn't want to leave her again.

"You have to go back down," she urged. He snarled at the thought.

"You have no idea how badly I was suffering!" he grumbled. "Especially when that puny, impotent prince tried to court you…"

"Leave him to the Mistress," she smiled. "Tomorrow night, I will lead him here. Either that, or just watch from the shadows for the right moment. You can do all the convincing when he is in the right position."

He laughed again and gazed into her black eyes. He felt her tug on his horns, and he kissed her deeply. He wanted her again, but he knew it would have to wait. When she whispered her next plan to him, he started laughing. She was going to run about the castle in a night robe screaming that she was raped again. He was grinning from the thought of it and he stood up tall. He replaced his armor and nodded to her before he let the shadows take him back. She got up and put on a filmy night robe. She dipped the cloth in the servant's blood and she smiled. Then she screamed horrifically.

The castle was a flurry of movement after that. They found her terrified and bunched up into a corner. They managed to learn that the demon had returned and removed her pregnancy in the most painful manner possible before raping her again. She told the guards that the servant was slain upon discovery before the demon left. Another bout of chaos occurred from the stables. The king was awakened to the news that his horse was dead and missing its heart.

"The demons are among us!" a servant cried. "They have come when the girl came to us! She should be destroyed!"

"You are talking nonsense!" Jonas snarled and shoved the servant away. The prince walked up to Saithe and tried to comfort her.

"I am not safe here!" she said with terror. "I need to flee!"

"Nonsense! Come with me," he urged. She looked at him and swallowed before nodding. He took her into his bedroom and closed the door. He kept glancing at her body through the filmy shift and found himself burning with desire for her. At the gesture for her to rest in his bed with him, she seemed to glare at him.

"What are you doing?" she asked cautiously.

"I am going to keep you safe with me," he said. She saw him lick his lips quickly, and she knew exactly how he was planning to keep her safe.

"You are planning to rape me!" she said with pure fear.

"No! I would never do that!" he said. "Now, please, we must remove those blood stained garments! I'm sure you're feeling cold, too."

"No!" she shrieked. "I will not let you touch me!"

"I am not going to hurt you!" he growled and managed to pull the filmy fabric off. When he saw her pierced skulls and belly button, his mouth dropped with disbelief.

"As you can see, I am already claimed!" she said with a fanged smile. He watched her sprout her black wings, and her tail curved up her side. He went to move towards her with a dagger in his hand, but a shining curve of steel slid neatly around his neck. Horny grunted and grinned at her. He was watching in the shadows for this moment, and she was glad that he did.

"Now, young fool, you have some explaining to do as to why you tried to court my young bride!" he sneered. "If you lie, I will not hesitate to pull my scythe back and lop off your head like that of Clyde's!"

"You killed Sir Clyde?!" Jonas said with terror. "You cut down the mightiest swordsman that ever graced our halls?!"

"Oh, yes. Then his corpse graced our Graveyard for an army of undead to feast upon!" Horny grinned. "However, you have a choice."

"What?" Jonas asked.

"Join our legion and you will live. You'll get paid, there are really no rules at how you live, and there is a Mistress you can even slap around."

"Never!" the prince cried. Horny hit him on the back of the head, and Jonas slumped to the ground.

"It won't matter," Horny shrugged. "You'll just be tortured into submission."

He kissed Saithe deeply once more before throwing the prince's body onto his shoulder. When he left, Saithe felt good. She finally felt like she accomplished something. She let her wings sink back down with her tail. She put her gown back on and ran back to her bedroom. She smiled and stretched with contentment. She could almost hear the screams of torment from the prince and she grinned. She jumped into the large bed and fell asleep.


	10. Chapter 10

When she woke at long last, she found Jonas staring down at her.

"Good morning," he said with a smile. She noticed right then that he had turned sides. His face was pinched from the previous pains of torment and she nodded.

"What are the plans for today?" she asked.

"Well, I was going to escort you to the servant rooms and we would slaughter them all. There were a couple of young wenches I wouldn't mind to ravish, either."

"As long as it's them and not me!" she spat. He nodded. He had already learned that the hard way. He did gaze at her a moment longer and watched her remove the blood encrusted robe. He pointed her to the wardrobe and watched her dress. He still wanted her. She kept her hair undone and picked out a simple brown dress. She put it on, and he led her to the servant rooms. He knew it was late in the afternoon and some were still out and about.

"We should be back here in the dead of night. They'll be sleeping and it will be faster," he said. She nodded and he showed her a secret passage they could go through.

"You know, you could rule this castle in the name of all that is evil when you slay your father," she grinned. "You can torture your friends into submission and any of those you know who hold massive power."

"I never thought of that. However, would you play the part as my queen?"

"No, but I'm sure the Mistress can."

"I was hoping you wouldn't say that."

"She's not that bad, is she?"

"Well, she's not as lovely as you. I can't see her sitting by my side."

"Aren't you betrothed?"

"The princess is a royal pain! I can't stand being in the same room with her!" he shuddered. "She's beautiful, but has no brains. You are beautiful and know how to fight back. I still can't believe you haven't fallen for my charms."

"Get used to it. Horny will kill you, besides the fact that you turned sides. He is known to slaughter friend and foe alike."

"Humph. He truly is the most evil creature I have ever encountered."

"You had better believe it!" Shade snorted as he appeared. Jonas did a double take at the Shadow Demon, and her father grinned. He stretched his wings out and flexed his massive chest. The prince felt slightly envious, as his own chest was not as filled out. Shade shook his head and grinned. His hair resembled a black, cloak-like mass of spiked silk that reached the floor. He was able to pull his daughter close to give her a chaste hug. It was one of the rarest things he could do to her, but he knew she needed it.

"Greetings, Father," Saithe said. Jonas looked at her with surprise.

"Saithe, it is good to see you. Good thing Horny intervened before I did. Now, young prince, let me ask you a few things aside…"

She watched her father take the prince over to a wall to discuss some things with him. After a brief conversation, Shade nodded and vanished.

"He's going to set about with traps and illusions for the night guards," Jonas said.

"You should go to your father and let him know you are safe for now. I'm sure he is quite worried."

"Good idea. I'll let you explore," he said and walked off. She watched him leave, and she saw an open window turret. She leaned out of it and blinked back the sun's light. She preferred the darkness. She smiled and waved at a group of children. They waved back before going back to play. She grinned at the thought of their tiny bodies piled in a dead heap and she giggled. She stretched and yawned. She was still sleepy. She decided to walk back to her room. She walked past the kitchen and stopped. A very interesting conversation was being said, and she decided to eavesdrop.

"She doesn't eat a thing!" a blonde servant girl said to a brunette servant girl. "That girl hasn't let a single piece of food past her lips!"

"I wouldn't doubt if it was she who was eating the hearts!" the brunette servant girl shuddered. "Did you hear that when Maven was found, his heart was missing?"

"The same with the royal charger, Kaiser. It's strange how she stays so pale! Do you think she's a demon?"

"Wouldn't you both like to find out?" Saithe grinned as she entered the room. The servant girls looked at her with horror.

"Um…w-we…" the blonde servant girl stammered. She smiled at the brunette and walked up to her. She winked at the blonde.

"Don't worry. I won't tell," Saithe purred, as she stroked the young brunette's face. The blonde was paralyzed with fear. She watched Saithe lock eyes with her friend before moving over to her and kissing her deeply. Then she gently stroked her body before hissing with anger. She watched Saithe rip out her friend's heart and devour it. The poor girl slumped over dead. Saithe licked herself clean and smiled with delight. Then the other girl started panicking when Saithe turned her black gaze over to her. She smiled seductively and put an iron hand on the back of the girl's neck. The girl's blonde hair came loose from the bun, and Saithe saw fear in her brown eyes.

"I…" the girl panicked.

"We are going to take a little trip together," Saithe crooned and led her out of the kitchen. She dragged the girl into her bedchamber and locked the door.

"What are you going to do?" she whispered.

"Depends on how you cooperate," Saithe grinned with her fangs revealed. "Remove your garments. Now!"

"B-but…"

"My patience is wearing thin!" Saithe warned. The girl swallowed and removed her dress. Saithe let her gaze rake over the girl's young, budding body and she grinned. Then she commanded, "Good. Now lie on the bed."

"I…" the girl shuddered, but did as she was told. She watched Saithe remove her dress, and her eyes widened at the sight of her wings stretching out. When she saw her tail slide along her waist she began to panic again. With a snarl, Saithe brought the girl's attention to her eyes. The girl stopped moving and felt herself sinking down into the depths of darkness.

"Now you won't know what is going to happen," Saithe murmured with a smile and began to climb onto the bed. The girl's heart was racing, and she gasped when Saithe's hands felt along her body. She felt Saithe kiss her deeply and began to respond to it when she pulled away. She shuddered when Saithe's tail began to rub along her skin like that of a snake, and she trembled when she felt lips kissing along her small breasts. She cried out when Saithe began to lick the heat between her thighs, and she convulsed from the sudden passion of it. She screamed when Saithe's tail shoved itself into her virgin body with a reckless fury.

"But…I…" the girl whimpered before crying out at the tail's violent twist in her to breach her uterus as though to claim her by full force.

"You will be my personal slave," Saithe crooned into the girl's ear. She clutched at her breast and sank her fangs into her nipple. The girl cried out and felt Saithe sucking hard on the blood that seeped out. Finally the girl cried out her fulfillment. Only after letting her rest for a moment did Saithe whisper, "What is your name?"

"Tally," she said weakly.

"Good. Now, I want you to dress and pretend that nothing has happened. You are to go back into the kitchen and prepare the corpse like it is to be the main course of a feast. When that is done, you are to come back to me."

"Yes," Tally whispered. Saithe kissed her again and released her. She knew Horny was going to be impressed at her new form of entertainment for him. She could already see it in his eyes. She yawned and decided to sleep. She folded her wings back into her back, and her tail vanished as well. She stretched herself out and got under the covers. She closed her eyes and was out like the light that absorbed in her hair.


	11. Chapter 11

Shade was scouring the castle for secrets, and he came upon the castle Wizard's lab. He grinned and snuck around carefully. He was hoping to find some sort of spell to steal. Instead, he found the Wizard who first enchanted him.

"Ah! A shadow man!" the Wizard clucked. Shade snarled and tried to vanish out, but he failed miserably. The human was well versed with Shadow Demons. He shouted when the Wizard cast another charm spell on him.

"Fool…!" Shade seethed, but it was to no avail. He was enchanted again.

"This one is stronger! The only way it can be removed is if I'm dead! That won't happen anytime soon. Have fun!" the Wizard grinned and sent Shade away. Shade groaned and pressed his hands to his head. His eyes suddenly snapped open and he grinned. He vanished and appeared next to Saithe's bed. He could see her nude body outlined by the pink silk, and he felt himself salivating over her.

"Horny won't mind if I have a taste of what he has," he mused. He lifted the covers and slipped in next to her.

"Ohhh…" she yawned and woke up. She was expecting to see Horny, but her eyes widened at the sight of her father.

"Good afternoon!" he grinned and tackled her. She screamed in anguish, but he overpowered her quickly. He held her hands above her head and shoved himself into her.

"NO!" she screamed as he gasped from her heated fire. He saw the silver horned skulls on her nipples, and he couldn't help himself when he pressed his own chest to hers. She was still screaming protests when he found himself nearing his own fulfillment. As he was just on the brink of release, Horny came in from the shadows to pull Shade off her. He was a second too late. Shade became ethereal and Horny's hand passed through him. Saithe was tainted and no longer completely under Horny's control.

"Horny! The Wizard in the lab did this to me!" Shade screeched as he gained a second of control. "You have to kill him! He has me charmed and the spell is tied to his life! I don't know if I'll do this again! You must hurry!"

Horny saw Saithe spewing out vile words of protest, but he knew Shade would never leave her at peace. He saw that Shade was under his own control right now and was trying to make desperate amends to Saithe. She hated him and looked at Horny with desperation. The red demon snarled with fury and vanished into the shadows. The shadows took him directly to the Wizard's entrance. He stormed in with his scythe ready. He started smashing potions to the ground and his fire set them ablaze.

"What are you doing?!" the Wizard screamed. Then he saw Horny, and his mouth gaped. With a savage snarl, Horny ran towards the old man. The Wizard hurled ice spells, and Horny's natural heat dispelled them. The old man tried wind, but Horny just got pushed back a foot. When another spell was being cast, Horny split the man in half from the head down. The two halves fell to the ground in a sick thud and Horny grinned. He did find an interesting spell book on his way out and he picked it up. He'd have Shade look at it. The Shadow Demon should have his mind back. If he didn't, he'll be killed. The shadows took Horny back to Saithe, and he found her huddled in the bed.

"Here," Horny growled as he handed Shade the book he found.

"Thanks," Shade said dryly. "I had no control over what I did…"

"Shut up and get out of my sight before I change my mind!" Horny seethed. Shade bowed and vanished. Horny went right over to Saithe and sat down on the bed. He grunted with discomfort at how he sank into the soft material, but ignored it for the moment. He placed a hand into her hair and watched it sink into the solid black strands.

"Horny," she whispered. "He fouled me…"

"I know," he hissed and pulled her to him.

"There is a way I think I can be purified by you," she whispered. "I'm not sure, but I think I know how."

"Tell me!" he demanded.

"When you let me drink your blood in the Casino, I never felt so alive in my life! The booze didn't matter, it was your blood. Maybe, if I drank your blood and you, in turn, drank mine, I would be purified?"

He thought and nodded silently. He offered his wrist to her and didn't wince when she sank her teeth into it. She drank deeply and felt aglow with power. She felt him lift her wrist up, and she shuddered when he sliced it open with a claw. He trembled when he sucked out the impurities put into her body and licked the wound closed when her blood tasted normal. She kissed his wrist closed and they looked at each other.

"I am completely impure," he mused. "Now I know how to make you fully mine again. I am relieved at this."

"Yes, beloved," she whispered. He chuckled at what she called him and pulled her to his chest. He suddenly jerked himself up when the door opened. Tally had returned, as her chore was completed.

"Who the hell are you?!" the demon seethed, but Saithe rose up her hand.

"Horny, this is Tally. She is my personal slave for the moment," Saithe grinned. Horny looked at her with disbelief. She told him of the supper she had Tally prepare, and Horny roared with laughter.

"I was hoping to attack before they supped, but now I am going to have to wait just to see their faces!" he laughed. He kissed Saithe and moved to take her, but she pushed him back.

"Let me…entertain you in a different fashion," Saithe winked. Horny looked at her a bit suspiciously, but he got off the bed at her whim. He saw her call to Tally and watched the girl shudder with nervousness. The girl removed her dress and crawled into the bed. Horny watched Saithe seduce her to a senseless pleasure, and he found himself getting horribly aroused. He saw that Saithe had herself on all fours and was licking the girl between her thighs.

He decided to take Saithe right there on the spot. He was far too aroused to fight the urge. Saithe gasped and had her tail plunge into the girl. Tally cried out at the sudden movement, and Saithe was screeching out her joy. Horny shoved himself deeply into Saithe and grabbed onto her hair. Saithe gasped and bucked back onto him and shuddered when he penetrated her womb. One clawed hand gripped her shoulder to force her body to impale herself even further on his length.

Tally whined when Saithe's tail went deeper into her and she arched her body. Saithe sunk her teeth into Tally's breast and sucked hard at the blood. Horny bent over Saithe's back and hissed in her ear. He began to massage her neck with his tongue and felt her push against him. He lost control of himself, and she felt his fire race through her just as Tally screamed out her completion. Saithe retracted her tail, and Horny pulled her into his lap. She rested happily against her mate, and the girl was now completely ignored. There was no more need for her.

"I must say, this is a _very_ intriguing aspect you developed!" he grinned, as she rested her cheek against his breast. He glared at the now sleeping girl and looked at Saithe. She smiled and kissed him.

"I plan to have her disposed of when we have no need of her. I can find another fresh one and corrupt her if I choose," Saithe shrugged. Horny chuckled and hugged her tightly. She was truly meant to be with him. She had a heart that was colder than ice, yet it melted only to his touch. He grimaced when he realized it was the same thing for him.

"After the king and his men sup, our troops will be ready to dig up from the dungeons. We have already freed several Dark Knights that were captured, and they are eager to see blood. I will inform them of your wonderful meal plans, and I'm sure they will be more than happy to wait and see how the humans think of their dinner!"

"That is wonderful news. Now, you should go back to the shadows. I have some servants to kill," she grinned. He chuckled and kissed her before he got up. He stood up tall and fixed his belt before walking back into the shadows.

"Wake, Tally," Saithe whispered. The girl woke at her command and looked at her. Saithe told her to go to her servants' quarters and put a sleeping draught in the next tea drink they served to each other. Tally nodded and dressed. She left and Saithe sat up with a smile. It would soon be time for the king's supper and she grinned. She should wear something appropriate for the occasion.

She walked over to her wardrobe and sorted through the clothes. She found a gold dress with heavy green lace and shrugged. She put it on and found her cleavage once again horribly exposed. Scowling at the prince's fetish to see such a thing constantly, she seethed quietly to herself before pushing the thoughts aside. She decided to check up on Tally and proceeded to walk to the servant chambers. What she found was surprisingly gruesome.

The prince had already slaughtered the servants and was standing over Tally's dead body. He looked at Saithe and saw her look of disapproval. At this, he said, "What's the matter? I thought we were killing them all."

"You are so sloppy!" she hissed. "Tally was my personal servant! I ordered her to put a sleeping draught in their next batch of tea! She was going to serve her friend up as your father's supper! Don't you listen to the shadows?!"

"What?!" Jonas said with disbelief. "You mean to tell me that you had everything under control?"

"Well, gee, I have to wonder!" she snarled. "Is the cook still alive?"

"Yes."

"I will place the cook under my control and have supper served."

"Actually, I don't think you should be seen," the prince said casually. "I need to show you something."

She looked at him oddly, but followed him through a secret chamber. Shadows rushed about to report to Horny and Shade in an almost immediate flight. She felt relieved. She was led to a dark chamber that was soon alight with candles. A stone altar was in the middle of the room, and the prince gestured to it. She felt an awful sense of dread and she backed away. The chamber was clearly old, but he had carefully restored it for his own uses. He even did sacrifices here. She doubted his father knew this.

"I don't trust this place," she said. He glanced at her irritably.

"Well, come on!" he said. "This is important!"

"No! I don't know what you are planning to pull, but I'll not be a part of it!" she hissed. His face darkened and he grabbed her. She tried to summon the shadows, but the heavy candle glow kept her helpers back. She screamed her fury as he managed to force her onto the altar with an almost supernatural strength. He locked her arms and legs down quickly. He wiped his brow with a handkerchief and picked up a sacrificial dagger.

"Now, I denounce my evil nature and I will attempt to make you purified to the light!" he said with a grin. She fought against the bonds, but the steel held. The prince was, apparently, into the occult. He thought he was using the means for good, but this explained why he was so easy to turn. His soul was already damned for practicing it.

"You idiot! I was born evil! There is no chance in Hell that you'll make me purified by your putrid notions!" she snarled.

"You see, if I can't have you, I will kill you!" he chuckled and started chanting. The candles burned brighter and formed a circular shield around them. It was another light shield. She seethed with hatred. Horny jumped out of the shadows alone and brandished his scythe. Shade could not join him, since he was repelled by the strong light. The shielding was made to repel shadows, but not flesh-formed demons.

"I'm going to enjoy pulling the skin from your flesh!" Horny hissed.

"That's if you can get to me!" the prince said haughtily. He picked up his dagger and cut open Saithe's dress. She screamed and tried to twist herself, but it was to no avail. Horny bellowed and tried to cut at the shield. His scythe bounced off harmlessly.

"Horny!" she called to him helplessly. It enraged the demon.

"This shield is a pure act of light!" the prince shouted. Horny saw Jonas place himself over Saithe and his hatred grew by a tenfold. His yellow eyes burned like the color of smoldering sulfur, and he tried to attack one of the candles. His attack went true and several candles extinguished. The only thing was that he had to work quickly. There were over a hundred candles there, and his scythe knocked out about ten at a time. Jonas was not paying attention. He was trying to purify Saithe with his own seed.

"This is a purification ritual?!" Saithe scowled. "It's an act out of lust!"

"My seed will purify!" Jonas vowed and slapped her across the face. Horny howled with rage and worked faster. Just as he cut down half the room, Jonas jumped off her. Saithe's face was a wrath of fury, and he saw she was still evil. Now the prince growled, "Well, if I can't have you, then none shall!"

He placed the sacrificial dagger over her heart and shoved it in to the hilt.

"NOOO!" Horny said with despair. Saithe surged with pain and screamed an unearthly scream. The whole room shook with it. She closed her eyes and fell silent. The prince smiled, but then it faded quickly. Horny chopped down all the candles. The shield was destroyed. Jonas swallowed and looked at the red demon. Horny narrowed his eyes and walked up to him with his anger knowing no boundaries. He pulled his lips back to reveal his glistening sharp, yellow teeth and he shook with fury.

"Um, can we talk?" Jonas said in a rushed voice. Horny said nothing, and he cut the prince down into pieces. When that was done, he rushed over to Saithe and pulled the dagger from her body. He removed the shackles and held her head up. Her eyes were closed as though she was sleeping, and her chest was not rising or falling. Horny did not speak, nor could he cry. Instead, his anger heated and exploded. He held her in his arms and howled his loudest yet. The sound shook the castle grounds and echoed up through the walls. The castle stood silent for a full minute before becoming a flurry of activity.

Horny brandished his scythe and saw nothing but blood before his eyes. He cut down friend and foe alike in his hatred and anger for anything living. Allies scattered before him as he worked his way up to the main hall. The king and the royal court had already fled. Any humans left were maimed and left for dead. Horny snarled with an unholy rage and went down to the Keeper's realm to slaughter any that he saw.

Shade quickly walked up to the altar where Saithe's body lay. He studied her and realized the dagger had pierced the same exact spot that he had marked her when she was first born. He smiled. He can resurrect her. He took the dagger and placed his fingernail in the wound. He slid the dagger back into the wound and concentrated. Her spirit was sucked up by the dagger. He released it with a word of power and decided to keep the dagger. If it could suck up souls, it would be useful for the future. He withdrew the dagger and placed it with the book.

He healed Saithe quickly and watched her jolt awake.

"Ha…Horny!" she cried out. Shade knelt down and took his daughter's hands in his. He quickly told her all that happened. She trembled.

"Let me purify you for Horny by draining the prince's essence from you," Shade said. "I can do it."

"No. I want Horny to," she said. He nodded and watched her get up. It took her a minute to right herself, but soon she was running after Horny.

"Good luck," Shade sighed and vanished to watch from afar where it was safe. He didn't want to become the subject of the demon's rage. Horny had just finished slaughtering the last of the imps, as it was, and he was going for the Heart itself. Just as he raised his scythe to attack, he was plucked and spirited to his chamber. He roared when he saw that Saithe's bed was gone, but the money was still there.

He fell to his knees and started punching at the floor. Huge gouges were left where his fist fell and he howled again. Never before had he felt such rage at losing something! Saithe had become his focus. His will to live. And now she was gone. He was so consumed by the raging anger that he never heard the door unlock and relock behind him. He didn't even hear the soft padding of steps to his side.

"Horny," Saithe whispered. He stopped with wide eyes at her voice and breathed heavily. He shook his head from the bloodlust daze he was in and his body trembled.

"Saithe?! No, you're dead!" he growled.

"My Father revived me, Horny. I have Shadow Demon blood," she soothed. "I came straight to you."

"How do I know it's you? How do I know you are not some illusion to distort me?!" he snarled. Saithe walked up to him and placed her hands on his strong neck muscles. He gasped at the calm, yet shocking feeling her very touch gave him. She worked her way to the front of his face and forced him to look in her eyes. When he felt himself tumbling down into bliss, he knew in his heart that it was her. He was speechless as to what to say or do. She tugged his horns gently and kissed him deeply.

"I need you to purify me, Horny," she whispered.

"I held you, and you were not moving," he trembled. "You did not breathe, and you did not look at me…"

"I was gone, yes, I was," she whispered, as she stroked his face gently with the back of her index finger. "But, my Father found my spirit trapped in the blade and he released me. He told me of your anger, and now I know better than to piss you off."

"As if that would have stopped you, anyways," he growled. She smiled and offered her wrist. He looked at her again and used his scythe to slash his own wrist open. The moment she sank her teeth into his wound, he opened her wrist to feed. The blood he tasted was horribly foul, but he kept drinking. The moment her blood tasted fresh and new, he stopped. She was still drinking from him, and he didn't stop her. She was drained and hungry. He used his scythe again to cut open a chicken. At the sight of the heart, she released his wrist and snatched it up.

He cut open more chickens for her, and she ate the hearts of all of them. When that was done, he was still confused as to what to do. She focused on the ground and another heart appeared. It covered up the gold again, but she made it different. She made the heart resemble a bed with enough blood in it to cover them.

"Take off your armor, Horny," she said. He grumbled and found himself removing it. She ordered him to lie down in the bed. He looked at her, but he nodded. The moment his back was covered in blood, she crawled on top of him and held him. At the very feel of her weight against him, any rage he had left had melted away. A deep sigh of contentment was heard next when her scent filtered around him. Now he was able to think. His focus and will had returned.

"I have never realized how much I needed you," he muttered, as he placed his arms around her. "Never in my life have I felt so alone! It never bothered me before, but now I can't bear to see myself having nothing but an endless life of butchery."

"It actually sounds like a wonderful future," she grinned. He looked at her and chuckled. He felt her trace his gold nipple rings and heard her sigh. At her grumble, he glanced down at her with amusement.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I want some body armor, too!" she growled. "I don't mind walking around nude, but sometimes it gets downright dull!"

"I like you nude!" he grinned.

"I know _you_ do! Think about it," she said as he hugged her tighter. "You do like ripping clothes off me, don't you?"

"Yes," he admitted.

"Then try to understand what I'm saying," she said. He started laughing. She gave him a dirty look, but then her face softened when he got serious.

"You have no idea what was running through my mind," he whispered. "You have no idea how badly I felt because I couldn't stop that bastard…that _human_…for doing what he did to you! I killed him in the end, but I felt cheated!"  
"Was it because you couldn't stop him from…well…" she faltered.

"If you get raped once more, I will kill whoever did it whether they are friend or not!" he slathered. "I will not rest until I know for a fact that—"

He found himself silenced when she kissed him. He couldn't bring himself to push her away. He couldn't stop himself from slipping into her. He heard her gasp and watched her lift herself up to sit astride him. He placed his hands on her waist and smiled at the sight of blood dripping off her breasts. Her skull piercings seemed to wink with delight at it, and he watched the blood seep out from behind her belly piercing. He rubbed his hands along the sides of her waist and he grunted when her tail grew out to wrap around his thigh. When she stretched her back, he growled, "No wings."

She looked at him and smiled. He pulled her down and rolled so that she was underneath him. He pushed himself into her even deeper and felt her body tremble. Before long, she had her legs wrapped around his waist and they kissed again. He broke the kiss and began to lick her skin when she arched against him.

"Horny!" she cried. "P-please…don't stop!"

He was too happy to oblige. Before long, he heard her cry out and he snarled at his own release. He felt her shudder when he poured himself into her, and he buried his face against her neck. She sighed and pressed her cheek against his.

"I'm not going to let you do anything without me," he muttered.

"Are you sure about that?" she winked.

"When it comes to letting you explore castles with princes, I am!"

"What if the castle had a princess? You heard the prince was betrothed, right?"

"Yes…he was…wasn't he?" he mused.

"If I corrupt the princess into loving me," she grinned. "It would be easy to get her to do anything for me."

"You mean for us?" he grinned back.

"So, you like my entertainments?"

"It's _very_ addictive. I'm so glad I have you back!" he whispered.

"There is only one thing I want to do right now."

"What is it?"

"Hold me and don't let me go," she said as she stroked his horns. "I want to sleep, and I want to make sure I see you when I wake up."

He looked at her and nodded slightly. He rolled onto his back again to let her rest on his chest. She put her cheek on his breast and listened to his strong heart beating. She sighed and closed her eyes. He felt her relax on him, and he began to stroke her hair. He snorted when he felt the blood drying on her skin, but he didn't care. She was alive and with him. That's all that mattered to him. He heard her snore lightly and he grinned. He had something to blackmail her with.

"Good to see you have come to your senses," Shade said as he appeared next to the bed. "I'm glad I was able to get her back to you."

"Shut up!" Horny snarled. "She's asleep. What is it?"

"The shadows have reported that the king is setting up a camp not far from the castle," he said with a grin. "If we attack within the hour we can have him killed. We can have Saithe go to the next kingdom and report the brutal attack. We would have the king's crown as proof."

"Hmm…not a bad plan. Does this next kingdom have a princess?"

"I don't know. I shall find out."

"Please do. I want to know all that I can. I refuse to let Saithe be torn from my sight! I want to know _everything_ about this place before we let her go anywhere!"

"Of course," Shade nodded and vanished. Horny smiled slightly at the thought that he hadn't killed him. The Shadow Demon did have his strong points. He looked down as Saithe mumbled in her sleep and clung to him tightly. When she began to mutter frantically, he realized that she was repeating her death.

"Saithe!" he whispered. He nudged her awake and she jolted from it. She looked at him and hugged him as tightly as she could.

"I feel so terrified!" she whispered. "Am I going to constantly dream of that every time I sleep?!"

He squeezed her and thought hard. He looked at her and cupped her chin with his hand. She placed her hand over his and shuddered.

"I suppose I am going to have to sleep with you from now on," he shrugged. "Until we find a cure for your mental dreams, I will be more than happy to let you cling to me for support."

"Shows off my weakness?" she smiled.

"That and if you snore again I can wake you up to tease you about it!" he grinned. She dropped her mouth with astonishment, and he howled with laughter. She had no idea that she snored. She growled and went to hit him, but he clasped her to him instead. She struggled against him and scowled at his smile. When he went to trace her cheek with his finger, she snapped her teeth at him. He grinned and began to tease her with it.

"Oh, you're awake," Shade said as he appeared. "Horny, the next castle does have a princess. We should ambush the king's party now. They are all napping."

"Very well, then," Horny grumbled. Saithe looked at him questionably and Horny explained what Shade said earlier. She nodded.

"Actually, wouldn't it be better to have a little collection of crowns?" she asked.

"What for?" he asked.

"Why, to have our own private collection of places we conquered!" she grinned.

"Hmm…yes! That sounds wonderful! We should leave quickly, then!"

"Let me bathe first," she said. He held her down when she tried to move, and she looked at him questionably again. He glared at Shade, and her father made the point to leave. He vanished instantly.

"I want you to know something," Horny said. Saithe looked at him.

"What would that be?" she asked.

"I told you once before, and I'll tell you again," he said with his eyes narrowed. "I love you. I love only you, and you had better not forget it!"

"And you should know that I only love you as well," she said with a smile. "I knew you loved me the first time you were going to hug me close without realizing it, and then you stopped yourself in mid-step. I knew you loved me when you first found yourself sinking into my eyes. I knew you loved me when we first kissed to distract Clyde. I knew you started to love me before you even saw me just by hearing of me from my Father's lips. You and I are destined. Nothing can tear us apart."

He said nothing. He knew she was not mocking him or teasing him. She was speaking only truth, and he had to think hard of what to say next.

"Whenever I gaze into your eyes, I can feel my soul releasing all anger and fear. I just exist. I feel no pain or danger. I don't even feel any lust or thought. I just feel…happy," he whispered. "Content."

"Do I really make you feel happy?" she asked.

"If you didn't, I would have slaughtered you a long time ago. You are the one that returns me to my senses. I feel in complete control of myself after I lose myself in your dark gaze, and it's as though the very weight of the world slips off my shoulders."

"Then gaze into my eyes and feel the true happiness you deserve," she whispered. When he felt himself slip away, she planted a kiss on his lips. His body shuddered with a pure, intense feeling of joy. He kissed her back in an urgent movement before forcing her to move off him. He got up and they walked over to the door. It was locked.

"The Keeper still doesn't trust me," he grinned. "I did try to attack the Heart after you were stolen from me."

"I shall make another door, then," she shrugged. He watched her eyes glitter in concentration and another section of the wall crumbled away. He chuckled and escorted her to the river. She had him climb in as well, and he scowled at the feel of the clean water against his skin. The water hissed around him and steam rose from the surface. She actually showed signs of intense relief at the heat.

"You like hot water?" he grinned.

"Yes, I do. It really relaxes me. Maybe you should bathe with me in the castle!" she grinned. "The water they give me gets cold too fast!"

"As long as the water does not smell of oils and roses, I'll be happy to," he said. They walked back to their room, and Horny put his armor back on. She scowled at him and he grinned. She really did want her own battle armor. He took her to the Workshop and let her describe what she wanted.

"I want a piece of black metal that can fit around my back to the front of my breasts, but not touch at the front. I just want it to cup over my breasts. I want holes to be in the very front of them so my skulls can show. I want a chain-link attachment over my waist with a piece of metal dangling between my legs in the front and back. I want a horned skull with fangs on the front below my belly button ring.

"For the sides of my legs, I want armor that fits like coiled stripes. As for shoes, I will take spiked heels with horned, fanged skulls on the front. They should start from my knee and fit down to my toes. I think it would be fitting! What do you think?"

"Very nice!" he nodded. "However, I shall make you wear a circlet with the same stone pendant I wear around my neck. You will also wear a necklace and earrings with the same stone."

"Hold on," she said. "You mean like pierced ears?"

"Yes," he nodded. She looked at him skeptically and he grinned. He walked up to her and pinched the bottom of her pointed ears. She hissed at the brief pain, but found them pierced. He had given her the black earrings with the polished bloodstones set in the center. He nodded his approval and watched a new Troll enter the room. The Troll gasped with fear, but it soon vanished into a toothy grin when Horny spoke to him sharply. The Troll looked at Saithe and got to work.

Within several minutes she had what she wanted. Horny grinned at her. He definitely approved. He made fists with his hands and opened them to reveal the bloodstones. The Troll took these and fastened them into the circlet and the necklace. Saithe put these on and looked at her reflection in the dull glaze of the anvil. She couldn't see very clearly, but she knew she looked totally evil and loved the thrill of it. She grew out her wings, and her tail lashed with defiance.

"Should my onyx be a bloodstone, too? Maybe the silver skulls turn black?"

"Hmm…the silver skulls should stay, but let's make the belly piercing black with a bloodstone," he grumbled. He changed the belly piercing and the stone. He looked at her and he nodded with satisfaction. She looked at Horny and smiled coldly.

"Shall we go hunting for royal hearts?" she asked with a fanged smile.

"Yes. Let's go hunting for the human whelp's father that let his son slaughter you before!" he said with burning yellow eyes. Saithe walked up to him and let her hand slide over his chest with affection before summoning the shadows to be taken to their destination.


	12. Chapter 12

The two of them were taken to the outskirts of the camp. The fire was dimmed to nothing, and they were eager for blood. Horny let Saithe kiss him deeply before she walked into the king's hut. She woke him with a snarl.

"What?!" the king said as he jolted awake. When he looked at her, his mouth dropped with shock.

"Greetings, you're Majesty," she said in a mocking tone. "You should listen to your servants. They speak more truth than any nobleman these days."

"Lilith?! What is the meaning of this?" he asked as he sat up.

"My name was always Saithe. Not Lilith," she grinned. When he got a closer look at her, he paled with fright. His sword was in the corner of the tent with his armor. He could not reach them. He knew his servants always insisted he keep them close, but then he realized that he had them close at one point. The shadows moved his weapons and armor away from his immediate reach.

"What do you want?" he asked in his most regal manner.

"I want from you what I want from any human. I want your heart!" she snarled as her eyes locked with his. He fought against the sensation of slipping into unconsciousness, but his spirit was weakened from the previous attacks on his castle. He was powerless and she knew it. Horny came in and watched her rip the king's heart out from his chest. She sank her teeth into it, and Horny lopped off the king's head. The royal crown tumbled to the ground and he picked it up with a savage grin. He gave it to Shade, and the Shadow Demon nodded. It would be the first of many.

"Too easy!" Horny snorted. "The rest of the caravan is dead. How did his heart taste? I want to know."

"Mmm," she said with satisfaction as she licked her fingers. "That was delicious! Oh, here. I saved a piece for you. So, all are dead?"

"Yes. The others are slaughtered," he said as he took the piece of heart from her to eat. "It was easier than killing chickens!"

"Wait…the shadows tell me a horsed rider left an hour ago to warn the other kingdom!" she snarled. "He wasn't with the caravan! At least it takes a whole day's travel, so he has a long ride ahead of him. I shall have to enter the castle a different way. Maybe I can use the princess's dreams?"

"You mean make her dream of you coming to make her think she has future sight?" he grinned. "It is an interesting notion!"

"However, the surrounding villages need to be destroyed first," Shade said.

"No!" Horny growled. "We go for the prize! When the castle is destroyed, the villages will crumble around it!"

"He's right, Father. We can use the princess to raise taxes and kill unmercifully. Send shadows to the castle to find out more about her. We can use her own weaknesses against her," Saithe said. Shade thought and smiled. His daughter was right. When Shade did that, Horny placed his hand on Saithe's hip and drew her close.

"Hmm. I remember seeing something," Horny mused.

"What is it?" she asked. He smiled and led her over to a different tent. There were several treasure chests within it.

"Shall we open them?" he grinned. She nodded and the locks on the chests crumbled under her gaze. What they found were the usual gold coins and treasures, but she found one treasure that was definitely different from the rest. She pulled out a small harp and found it to be made of silver. The design was simple and, when she plucked the strings, the most beautiful sound ebbed from it.

"This will be mine," Saithe said with a smile. "I believe this was to be a gift for the princess. I don't think she'll need it now."

Horny grinned, but then he paused and his smile faded. Saithe began to pluck the strings again and started to sing. Her voice was a haunting melody that burned a fierce fire in his soul yet made him want to melt with desire for her.

"You have a Siren's voice!" he gasped. "I believe I know how you can seduce the princess to her grave."

"Indeed?" she crooned. She looked so elegant with the silver harp on her knee and looking up at him with her perfect face that he had to catch his breath. She was indeed the most beautiful creature that ever walked the earth. He ground his teeth when he knew that he was going to be the one creature that would kill anything to protect her. She gave him a puzzled look, but she smiled when he shrugged it off.

"We must head back. I'm sure the Keeper will be anxious to move his heart to a closer location of our next target," Horny said.

"I just got some news in from the shadows," Shade said. Horny looked at him.

"What is it, Father?" she asked.

"The princess has an older brother," Shade replied. Horny spat.

"Maybe I can make the princess seduce her brother," Saithe said aloud. Horny looked at her and found himself grinning. Shade laughed wildly at the thought and sent out more shadows to track down the prince. Saithe ordered some shadows of her own to collect the treasure chests and take them to her lair.

"As for us," Horny said with a smile. He scooped up Saithe and let the shadows take them to their lair. Horny secured what was left of the gold and her harp onto his back. As to how he managed to do that, Saithe had no clue. A moment later there was a slight earthquake, and they found themselves by the Keeper's Heart. No rooms were made, but the Imps started to work on them. Saithe growled.

"This is taking too long!" she hissed and concentrated. The walls crumbled down into perfect rooms so the Imps did not have to dig. They could focus on fixing the walls. Horny looked at her with surprise. She cut her wrist open and let her blood flow into the Heart. More Imps appeared and started working. Right before Saithe felt like passing out, Horny picked her up and licked her wound closed. He nuzzled her neck and decided to explore with her. He carried her around the new dungeon and found their room. It was much larger now, and he smiled when his throne appeared. There was even a small river next to the room, and a door was set up for them to use to reach it. He set down the gold and the harp to sit with Saithe in his lap.

"You waste your blood," he growled as he cut his wrist open. He pressed her lips to his wound and she instinctively bit down. He rubbed his hand along her skin while she fed and he paused over her belly. She stopped feeding when he let out a sharp snarl.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I feel…another offspring!" he grumbled. She cursed under her breath and he looked at her. He lifted her metal flap up and slid his hand between her legs. He felt her stiffen up to brace herself and he stopped.

"How on earth do I get pregnant so fast?!" she growled.

"It must be my seed. Whenever you ovulate, it reacts," he said as he growled in thought. She watched him and saw he wasn't proceeding to remove the fetus.

"Aren't you going to remove it?" she asked.

"I…I'm not sure if I want to remove this one," he admitted. She looked at him with wide eyes.

"But, Horny, I can't have children right now! We must wait until we are sure no humans are going to be a threat to them!"

"You're right," he said and narrowed his eyes. "Bite down on my wrist as hard as you like. I remember how this pained you before."

She nodded and sank her teeth into his wrist again. He found himself wincing slightly at how she chewed on his flesh. By the time he wrenched his hand out from her with the fetus, he saw his wrist was practically mangled. He couldn't believe what she did to him. She was trembling horribly and watched him set the fetus aflame. She opened her wrist again and let her blood heal his wrist. He licked her wound closed again and pulled her head onto his chest.

"I'm surprised I didn't chew your wrist off!" she sighed.

"You do know that you are the only one allowed to mangle me, right?"

"Of course, I am! You are the only one allowed to do this type of stuff to me. I am your woman. I don't like to share myself with anyone that I don't approve of. Don't look at me like that!" she growled at his stare. "I mean with servant girls!"

"Ah! Yes, that is a bit more like it," he grinned. "However, would you mind if I had some fun with them, too?"

"NO!" she snapped. "You belong to me as I belong to you! If any girl even looks at you with any kind of lust, I want you to look into their eyes. If you sink in their gaze like mine, kill them. If you still feel angry or any sort of emotion, kill them!"

"So, I'm to be on a leash with you?" he grinned.

"The moment you let me be with someone of my choosing is the same moment I let you be with one of your choosing."

"I can't stand the thought of anyone else taking you other than myself!" he snorted. She looked at him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"That's the way it should be," she smiled. He lost himself in her gaze and kissed her deeply. He doubted that there was another girl in the world that had the type of gaze that she did. He knew long ago that she was the one suited for him and none other would do. She would kill any girl who would dare try to be with him. For some reason, he felt great comfort in that fact.

"Saithe," Shade said as he appeared. "You may want to read this book that Horny found. It is rather interesting."

"Really?" Saithe said with a smile. "Give it here, then!"

"Of course," Shade said and handed the black leather book to her. He vanished so she could read the pages.

"What is it?" he asked.

"This book tells me how to raise the dead through an erotic dance!" she grinned. "Okay…swing hips here…step over here…Horny, watch this and tell me what you think. You might be impressed."

"Will you raise any dead?"

"No. It can only happen in a graveyard," she said as she jumped off his lap. He got comfortable and smiled. He loved to watch her dance. She began with her arms over her head and her wings outstretched. Her tail curved around her waist with seduction. She moved her hips to an invisible beat and the rest of her body followed. He was completely enthralled in her, and his yellow eyes burned with desire. When she finished, she was on the ground with her knees touching the floor and bent backwards like an arch. He took that moment to remove his belt and crawl onto her. She gasped when he licked her neck. "Horny! I-I guess you liked it?"

He growled his response and sat up with her in his lap. He pushed her breastplate down to lick her, and he rumbled when she tugged on his horns. She was too much for him at the time, and he squeezed her tightly at his release. She shuddered horribly, since she was still sore from her abortion. He sat up with his knees underneath him and her legs around his waist. He decided to find out why she shuddered so much afterwards.

"Do I hurt you?" he asked.

"No," she said weakly as she rested on his chest. "You don't."

"Then why did you shudder like that?!" he demanded.

"It's your seed."

"My what?"

"When you release your seed into me, it feels like fire coursing through my veins. Since you had just taken your offspring from me, the fire you gave me shook my insides. You didn't know, did you?"

"No, I didn't," he admitted. "The pain isn't that bad, though?"

"No. Most of the time I love it," she grinned and kissed him. He was thinking when he suddenly looked at her. She had tugged on his nose ring.

"Do that again and I'll put one in your nose!" he rumbled.

"A nose piercing? Now isn't that an intriguing thought!" she grinned. "Of course, it would have to wait. I don't want any humans looking at my face and find your brand on it. It would give me away."

"True. I think you have enough piercings, as it is," he said, as he licked up her neck. "Make a bed so we can hide our treasures."

"Do we ever plan to use them?"

"Possibly for bribery," he said. Then he grinned evilly.

"What?" she said with a smile.

"Humans love bribes…don't they?" he thought. "Especially thieves…I'll have Shade hire a stalker for our princess. She, in turn, will want to hire a mercenary. You!"

"That makes sense. Evil to hunt evil…her payment to me will be her soul!" she laughed and he laughed with her. Shadows appeared in the room and told her information which she relayed to him. She closed her eyes in a trance-like state.

"Ah. The report. What did you learn?" he asked lightly.

"Princess's name is Birma…short with long, curly blond hair and blue eyes…she loves frilled dresses and slightly fat from food. The prince is named Ermit…blond hair and blue eyes…stocky build, but also short…loves hunting and eating."

"Hmm…are they twins?" he asked.

"Yes!" she grinned. "Her brother is the elder."

"What of their fears?"

"Birma fears all the things a gently reared girl would fear, which are anything out of the ordinary. Ermit only fears…undead!" she said with a grin.

"Any dangers we should know of?"

"A Priest who has the power to resurrect anything, including himself."

"So, if we can't beat him or torture him?"

"We will use the dagger the other prince used on Saithe," Shade said as he appeared. "It will suck up his soul when put in his body."

"What we could do is place his body in our Prison after he dies by the dagger and resurrect him there," Saithe pointed out. "Then we could torture him as needed."

"You are too intelligent!" Shade grunted.

"You know, I think that comes from my Mother's side," she sighed. He looked at her with pure frustration.

"Shade, you never did tell me of her mother," Horny mused. Saithe paled and stood up. She shuddered and walked over to a corner.

"Her mother is not worth speaking of," Shade said.

"Nonsense," he snorted. "Saithe, was your mother a Siren or a Succubus?"

"Neither," she whispered with hatred. "She was…human."

"WHAT?!" Horny said with disbelief.

"Actually, that's not true," Shade said. Saithe looked at him with a strange look in her eyes. Horny glared at both of them.

"Your mother was actually a Harpy turned human by her own clan," he explained. "She was given amnesia so she always thought she was human. Haven't you noticed that whenever she went to the privy, her leavings were more than that of a human?"

"Yeah…you're right!" she said with relief. "And she always said she had dreams of flying around, I think. So, I'm part Shadow Demon and part Harpy?!"  
"Yes. You are one hundred percent evil!" he said with a nod. "That was why the other men in the village avoided her. She gave off an odor of something different, and they always noticed something about her that they hated."

"But Saithe would have been born ugly if her mother was a Harpy!" Horny argued. Saithe frowned and watched her father intently.

"Her mother was actually Amnora, the only beautiful Harpy that was currently in their existence. The others felt she was to be an outcast. So, they ripped her wings off her back and gave her the permanent illusion to be human. I keep her soul with me so she cannot be reborn. It was as I told her when I confronted her when she wanted a child. Her soul would be with me for all eternity."

"That explains partly as to how Saithe has her wings," Horny mused. "No, wait…you have the same wings that she does! Must be the ears, then."

"Wait a minute…" Saithe said with a thought. "If my Mother was a Harpy, I should be able to grow out a set of eagle wings, right?"

"I don't see why not. It is how you got your pointed ears and your tail," Shade said. "Some Harpies had whip-like tails, and others had feathered ones. My ears are round. Practically all Harpy ears were pointed."

"Watch this," she said with a cold smile. Her wings and tail shrunk back in to let a set of gold colored wings rise from her back. They had large feathers and were twice as large as her bat wings. She did not grow out a tail with these wings, but that seemed to suffice for what she had planned. Her ears remained pointed, but her hair could cover them up nicely.

"What's your point?" Shade said.

"If you get me a white gown and a gold circlet, I can be the angel that is supposed to save the kingdom!" she grinned. Horny was rolling on the floor howling his laughter. Shade was no better as he was leaning against the wall for support. The plan was too perfect. She would be known as the 'Angel of Light' in this disguise. The town would not even suspect it was in any kind of danger until she changed into her battle armor.

"We would have to put an illusion on your hair and eyes," Shade said after recovering. "However, only true evil will see you as you really are."

"Perfect. Give me white hair and eyes to be the opposite. That way the humans think I'm there from the light itself!" she grinned. Horny was too weak from laughter to stand, and he was pounding his fist into the ground. Shade went into another bout of laughter and nodded with enthusiasm. She would appear in the princess's dreams and tell her that a mercenary would help her remove the stalker from her sight. She would use the harp and her voice to capture the prince in his dreams and whisper of delightful things the princess wanted to do to him. More of the plan was forming in her mind, and she couldn't wait to test them out. She knew the plan may not go completely as it formed, but it was close to what she wanted.

"We shall get to work the moment the princess falls asleep!" Horny grinned. Saithe smiled and walked over to him as Shade vanished. He was still on all fours on the ground from his laughter. Horny felt her hands roam along his back and up to the sides of his face. He bore a massive smile and they kissed deeply. He let her hands wander over his body down to his member and he growled at her.

"You know," she whispered. "All this work has made me…very horny!"

"I see," he grinned. "Make your bed and I'll make sure my name will no longer be your mood!"

She smiled and her bed appeared over the treasure. He carried her over to it and removed her armor along with the rest of his. He placed her in the blood and pressed himself onto her. She yawned and stretched beneath him.

"I suppose there is more to me than we both thought?" she asked with a grin. He studied her bloodied eagle wings and began to caress her skin with his hands.

"In that case, I'll be more than happy to rediscover you!" he snarled as he began to lick her skin. All that she could remember after she lay on his chest and in his arms was that he _was_ incredibly thorough! She knew he was the only one destined for her, and that he would protect her like the whirlwind of death that he was. She heard him start to snore and she yawned. She relaxed and fell asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Shade approached the tavern late at night. He was garbed in his small, robed disguise again and found the nastiest thief he could sense in his immediate area. The human eagerly agreed to kill the princess at the sight of the gold coins that jingled in Shade's hands. He paid the human half for now. The rest would be paid after the deed was done. He smirked since he knew it would never happen.

"Too easy!" Shade said with a grin as he vanished. "Saithe, I leave it in your spiteful hands now. Make us proud!"

She appeared in the castle courtyard with her silver harp in hand. She was dressed in white silk with her now silver hair flowing down to the ground. Her eyes were tinted a blinding white, and her golden wings folded down her back. Her gold circlet twinkled from the diamonds that were set within it, and she sat down on the side of the massive courtyard fountain. The entire castle was asleep. She focused on the two royal chambers and began to sing.

The prince woke to the melody first and rushed to his window. When he saw the angelic creature singing while playing the silver harp, he made a sign of the cross and bolted down the steps to meet her. When the princess woke, she could not believe her eyes, either. She ran down the steps to meet Saithe as well. They both approached her cautiously. The prince saw her as the most beautiful creature he had ever seen in his life. There was no doubt in his mind that he saw an angel before him. The princess was definitely jealous at Saithe's beauty, but she had the dignity to remember this was an angel and not a living creature.

"Greetings, children," Saithe whispered amidst her harp playing. "I am sorry to have awakened you. It is not often that I come down to the very earth to play."

"Your music is as lovely as you are," the prince said.

"Thank you," Saithe breathed. "Tell me. What are your names?"

"My name is Ermit," the prince said.

"Mine is Birma," the princess said. Saithe had to keep from laughing. They both sounded alike with baritone voices.

"What is your name?" Ermit asked.

"My name is…not important at this time. We angels try to keep our names from being known," she whispered with a soft smile. "Birma, I have seen the future and yours is grieving to me."

"How?!" the princess asked.

"A thief is going to stalk you and try to kill you. However, there is a traveling mercenary that will stop by the inn tomorrow night at dusk. She may appear evil, for that is what she is. She bears my likeness and will gladly kill the stalker for a price. Just be warned, her prices exceed those of normal standards."

"What of my future?" Ermit asked.

"As for yours," Saithe whispered and looked into his eyes. "It depends on how you treat the mercenary. If you treat her with respect, good things may follow. Just be known that she does have a guardian that appears at random to make sure she is safe. He is just as evil her. Do be wary."

"But, to have someone evil enter the castle," the princess gasped.

"Evil can hunt evil," she smiled. "Remember that. I must leave now. I have remained here for far too long."

"Wait!" the prince gasped. "Will I ever see you again?"

"Just listen for my harp, young one. As long as your heart beats in your chest, all you need to do is listen for my harp," Saithe whispered as she tucked the silver harp away. She beat her wings and took off into the night sky.

"I'm going to find her again," Ermit vowed. "If the mercenary bares her likeness, then maybe it is she, herself! She's the most beautiful creature I've ever seen! To have her as a possible queen at my side…I will do whatever I can!"

"But, you heard she has a guardian!" Birma argued.

"Then I shall attempt to slay her guardian!" he growled as he stormed back up to his room to plot. Birma ran up to her room for fear that the stalker was close, and she called the royal guards around her. She would have to wait for the mercenary, and she sent a messenger to wait by the tavern.

The prince heard rumors of a black-haired girl that brought ruin to the kingdom not far down from his own, but lust had taken control of his mind. He wanted the mercenary girl when he saw her. Something told him that this was the same girl being spoken of, but he didn't care. He would do anything to be with her. He sent orders to the castle guard not to harm her if she appeared. When the messenger from the other kingdom came up to him to intercept his decision, the prince frowned.

"I have come to warn you! You know not what you are doing!" the messenger said. "Please heed my warning!"

"I know what I'm doing. I saw a vision from an angel. I did not see a vision of evil!" the prince growled. "My sister's life is in danger, and if an evil girl is what it takes to kill an evil thief, then so be it!"

"B-but," the messenger stammered then sighed. "Then this kingdom may be ruined as well! No matter. I shall flee to the next one! I will continue to spread the word for as long as my life depends on it!"

"Do as you wish," the prince said with an uncaring gesture. None knew that once the messenger left the castle, Saithe had slaughtered him and left him to rot. Shade had dragged the body over to the castle hounds, and the dogs feasted on the corpse with glee. It also gave them a taste for human flesh. Shadows started sending messages about where hidden traps and walls were. They were very efficient.

Saithe appeared at the tavern wearing all black leather the next day at sunset. Several daggers were strapped along her hips. Her battle armor was stored elsewhere for now. She had just sat at the bar when the castle messenger approached her slowly. The young man realized that the other ruthless men seemed to shy from her. They sensed her horrifically evil presence and knew that, if they messed with her, they were as good as dead. The mere glare she gave them also proved just that.

"Ah, are you a mercenary?" he said nervously. He was always rather nervous around beautiful women, but this one made the hairs on his neck stand on end. Saithe looked at him and hissed. He trembled under her glare.

"What of it?" she asked carelessly. He was surprised at the light tone she used.

"Um, your presence is requested at the castle right away!" he said. "All prices will be paid for your services."

"Really?" she purred. "In that case, lead away."

The messenger wiped his brow with a handkerchief and led her straight to the princess. Birma studied her and realized she looked almost exactly like the angel. The only difference was the hair and eyes. She told the messenger to leave.

"You are the mercenary?" the princess asked hesitantly.

"What do you require my services for?" Saithe asked.

"Well," Birma said stiffly. "I am being stalked."

"Any proof?"

"None save that of an angel's vision."

"I see. You do know that my fee is rather…costly," Saithe grinned.

"I know. Any price will be paid."

"Even your soul?"

"What? I am afraid I did not hear you correctly."

"Money is not an option to me. I deal with souls. I will only help you if you become my personal slave and do as I wish."

"What?! Impossible!"

"Fine. Let the stalker slit your throat. I'm leaving," she said with a yawn.

"No! Wait!" Birma pleaded. "I…I'll do it!"

"Really?" she grinned. Birma gasped at Saithe's fanged smile.

"Um…yes," she said weakly. Saithe nodded.

"I must take my payment up front," Saithe said. Birma looked at her with fear.

"What are you going to do?" she asked. Saithe locked eyes with the princess, and the girl's blue eyes got sucked into the bottomless gaze. The princess was paralyzed. Saithe noticed she was wearing a rather large pink gown and grinned at a wicked idea. She went behind Birma and let her hands feel along the slight cleavage. She had to stifle her laughter that the girl had padding in her bust line. She had literally no cleavage at all.

"Do you like this, little princess?" Saithe growled in a husky tone.

"Huh? N-no!" Birma said. "This…isn't part of…the deal…!"

"You are mine now, princess," Saithe purred. "Nothing you say or do can stop it. If you try anything, you will die by my hand."

"I…" Birma faltered. Saithe turned Birma's head and kissed her deeply. The girl likely was sheltered from such pleasure. That was quick to change. She began to groan when Saithe let her hands wander again. As she lifted her skirts up to reach the princess, the door rattled. Saithe hid herself neatly under Birma's massive train.

"Tell the guard to leave!" she hissed, as she began to lick between the girl's thighs. The princess nearly doubled over from the unknown pleasure.

"A-all is well!" Birma called out. "I am d-discussing negotiation with the m-mercenary! I am unharmed!"

The person at the door left. Saithe let Birma stagger over to her chair to lean on while she worked on her. Saithe let her tail grow out, and it shoved itself cruelly into the princess. She was about to scream, but a shadow was summoned to mute her. Saithe worked her hands up through the gown to squeeze Birma's breasts, and the princess gasped. Finally she cried out her fulfillment. Saithe gave her one last lick as her tail extracted itself, and she rolled out from under the gown.

"Now," Saithe said. "Tonight, you will sleep soundly. I shall take care of your stalker. Understood?"

Birma nodded without hesitation. She had the princess undress and lie in the bed. She was about to leave, but she decided not to. She played with her new slave again. When the princess was dressed in a light gown and snoring peacefully, Saithe began to hunt for the thief. She used her night vision easily and found him sneaking along the window to her room. She grinned. The fool had climbed the wall by at least three stories. She grew out her demon wings and flew over to him. She hovered and hissed to get his attention.

"H-huh?!" he said as he clung to the wall. She grinned before letting out a howl of fury. The thief screamed and released the wall. He fell to his death. Saithe purred with satisfaction. Her part of the "bargain" was done. Now it was time to play. She flew over to the prince's window and crept in. He was snoring loudly in his bed and she smirked. The shadows told her the king had died in a battle several years ago and was buried in the castle crypt. The peasant's graveyard overlooked it. She would have fun letting the prince meet his father again.

Her father had found a special pouch that can keep a limited amount of items in it for recent uses. Saithe had quickly found an excellent use for it. She crept up to the prince's bed and removed her leather garments. She changed her wings back to the feathered gold and put on her angel disguise. She pulled out her harp and sat by the open window. She chanted the illusion for her hair and eyes as she smiled. This would be too easy. She decided to sit at the open window in case she had to take flight. She began to sing and play.

The prince woke slowly and looked over at the window. At the sight of her, he bolted from his bed.

"Angel!" he whispered. "Please, tell me! Why are you here?"

"Why am I here?" she whispered with a gentle smile. "Don't we all ask that question once in a while?"

"Well, I have never seen anything as lovely as you!" he said.

"Oh, you haven't? What of the mercenary?"

"I have not seen her yet. I was hoping she could dine with us come breakfast."

"Unfortunately, her nature is evil, as I have told you before. She can only dine at night and, even then, she has rather strange eating habits."

"Tell me what she eats so I can serve her every desire!" he begged. When he saw the angel's eyes pierce his, he could have sworn they began to tug at the very fire of his soul. He averted his gaze. It unnerved him that such an angel could look into his very core and be able to see his faults.

"She can only consume hearts that have been freshly pulled out of living corpses. Be it animal or human," she said calmly. The prince's skin chilled to the bone. This mercenary was indeed very evil.

"Why do you tell me of this mercenary?" he asked suddenly. Saithe smiled.

"Why do you tell me I am the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?" she asked back with a purr. "I tell you these things so you know how to protect yourself. I am life. She is death. I cannot be touched. She can be touched."

"If she can be touched, can she be loved?"

"Only her guardian loves her, and she loves him back. There is no other option. She loves only he."

"If I slay the guardian?"

"She shall slay you."

"I see…" the prince went silent. When he went up to the angel to touch her, Saithe summoned the shadows. They made her transparent to his touch.

"You are a fool to try and touch me!" she moaned and stopped playing with an abrupt twang of her harp. "Now I know I can't come back!"

"No! Please don't go!" he cried.

"I'm sorry, young prince. I cannot stay any longer," she whispered in a sorrowed tone. It worked like a charm.

"Let me make amends!" he cried again. "I'll do anything!"

"Anything?" she asked dangerously. "Then there is one thing you must do."

"What?" he asked. He had started to sweat, and he wiped off his forehead.

"The mercenary has fouled your sister in a horrific manner in exchange for her payment in slaying the stalker. You must purify your sister."

"What?!" the prince hissed. "How must I purify her?!"

"You must lay with her in her bed and take her as though she was your wife. Your seed will make her pure."

The prince looked at her in shock. Never in his life had he heard of such a thing.

"I can't do that!" he spat. "That in itself is impure!"

"Then your sister will die," she frowned. "And your sin with me cannot be forgiven. I must go. Do as you please about your sister's fate."

He watched the angel take flight and vanish into the night. He scowled and looked at the ground. He couldn't sleep with his sister! It was blasphemous! Yet, his sister was now tainted with evil and he had to help her. He sighed and nodded to himself. He went to his sister's bedchambers.

Saithe flew quickly to Birma's room and changed into her mercenary disguise. She woke the princess and told her what her brother was going to do. Birma paled with fright and disgust but could do nothing. She belonged to Saithe now. Saithe ordered her back to sleep, and she slipped into the shadows. As she watched for the prince, a muscular chest pushed against her back. She relaxed against her mate with comfort.

"Tell me everything!" Horny grinned. Saithe smiled as the shadows hid them and kept them muted to the world. She explained what she did and he laughed hard. She had ordered the princess to be completely submissive with the prince. She would do anything he asked and anything he told her. Horny put his arms around Saithe and smiled. When she looked for his scythe, she saw he had fashioned a sling to hang it on his back. He was going to wait with her.

Several minutes later, Ermit entered the room slowly. He glanced around nervously and removed his clothes. He slipped into his sister's bed and woke her.

"Birma," he said. She opened her eyes and looked at him. She acted startled, but listened to his rushed whisper. She was confused, but then she understood. Saithe and Horny smiled at each other. The prince moved himself over his sister and began to take her. Horny grinned evilly and picked Saithe up into his arms. She had done well.

"Now, while he tries and fails to purify her, I want you all to myself," he grumbled. "I get tired of watching everything that happens."

"Actually, why don't I raise the dead? This way the army can start forming, and they can hide in the catacombs of the castle," she suggested. He looked at her and nodded. He gave a sadistic laugh and hugged her.

"You know, you are sort of scary when it comes to setting traps," he grinned. "I believe I am starting to love the way you think!"

"I do believe that's because I hang around you too much. Do you think you're rubbing off on me?"

"If I am, then let it continue! I never had this much diabolical fun in ages!"

"Please, tell me how old you are."

"Hmm?" he asked. "How old am I?"

"Yes. You know I'm eighteen. How old are you?" she asked, as she ran her hands along his chest. He grunted at the gesture and thought.

"I lost count after two thousand," he muttered. She looked at him with surprise.

"I can't even tell you look that old! You look great in your current condition."

"Well, I'm a demon. I'm not supposed to age when I reach my prime. I don't even think I was born. I think I just exist."

"Pretty strange how you give me offspring, then, isn't it?" she asked.

"You are right, in that aspect. I've had hundreds of females, and you are the only one I can ever remember being able to get pregnant."

"Think it's a sign?" she whispered.

"I think after the next kingdom we conquer, I might actually want a little version of myself to beat up on," he mused.

"So you are saying that you want a family?" she asked. He looked at her skeptically and grinned.

"I suppose so," he admitted.

"You're getting a little soft."

"I just think a few changes can happen in the future," he said gruffly.

"Oh?" she smiled, as he picked her up and set her on his shoulder. "I thought you didn't like any changes."

"Sometimes a change can be tolerated."

"Like your new emotions?" she grinned.

"You are the _only_ one that I am ever able to express my emotions to."

"I know it. And you know that you are the only one with me."

"Good. That's the way it should be," he snorted. He carried her over to the graveyard, but he didn't release her right away. He let her slide down just enough for him to hold her at eye level, and they both gazed out at the murky setting before them. The graves were nothing more than wood planks standing from the ground. Some were tilted from the rot beneath them. Many had their words stripped off from the weather. When he walked with her between the graves in the hollowed earth, they were both pleased by the stench of death. He noticed the stone crypt in the middle of the graveyard and they descended.

He smiled at the noxious fog that rose from the ground almost immediately. This place was more to his liking. He carried her to the royal tomb that held the king, and he flipped the massive stone lid up with a single hand. The rotting stench of the body overwhelmed any living creature in a five foot radius. He grinned.

"There is a story here of how the king died," she said as she looked at the discarded lid. He approached it with her.

"Really? Read it to me. Maybe we can raise his enemy, too."

"Apparently, he died slaying a mighty dragon. What a poor creature!" she sighed. "From what it says here, the dragon was solid black and completely evil. You know, it would be nice to have an undead dragon to ride on."

"That would be very nice to add to our undead army as a backup. Does it say where the dragon is located?"

"You are going to laugh!" she grinned.

"Don't tell me…they buried it under the king's tomb, right?"

"Even better!" she grinned. "It's under the castle! They built the castle over the dragon's lair!"

He howled with laughter at the thought of the undead dragon finding a home on its lair and ripping the castle to pieces with fury. He hugged her tightly before releasing her to dance. He found an old stone chair and sat in it to watch.

She removed her clothes and armor to stand nude. She wanted to see his face as she performed intricate positions for him. She never truly showed him what the dance was like, as she had just given him a slight peek. The moment she began to hum a tune to dance to, the fog thickened around her.

He watched her with awe and utter bewilderment as she twirled in different directions. His eyes were locked on her curves, and he began to clench his hands into fists with desire. Then, he looked up and saw the skeletal king rising. Along the wall, other dead noblemen and women started to rise and dance with her in a shuffling movement. More zombies came crawling in from the graveyard just to see her with rotting eyes. The dance was so powerful that it affected the entire area.

When she finished her dance, the room was filled with the rotting husks of bodies. The stench was clearly overwhelming, but she managed to clench her jaw to see to it that her task got finished. She saw that Horny was biding his time as well. She smiled and opened her wrist. She placed a single drop of blood on each corpse. The droplet soaked into the flesh and bone of the corpse quickly without a trace. Horny watched with surprise as the zombies became lifelike. They regained their voices and organs intact. They even had a full set of white teeth and body hair. They looked like they were alive again. The smell of death had even faded away to nothing. The zombies stared at Saithe with a purpose.

"Mistress, what will we do?" a reformed zombie asked.

"This is what is going to happen," she said with a smile as she licked her wrist closed. "Any family members that you corpses had in life will be revisited. If new grief is opened, the living will be slaughtered and brought to me. I will revive them, and they shall serve with their kin."

"That way they will be together in another life?" Horny said with a grin. He looked over at the king and was amazed that the very fire of life appeared to glow in the zombie's eyes. Long blonde hair was recovered on the king's head, and his white garment was even restored to new. When Horny looked around, he saw that the clothing on all the corpses had been restored. It was as though Saithe's blood restored lost time.

"Hand me your crown," she said. The king nodded and gave her the exquisitely made gold crown. Shade appeared in the chamber and looked around with appreciation. Horny looked at the crown and handed it to Shade. When Shade vanished, Horny stretched and yawned. Saithe pondered as to what to do next. She looked at the king's lid from his tomb and looked at the zombie.

"Lead me to the dragon, king," Saithe whispered. The king nodded and shouted a command to his new troops.

"I have one request," the king said as he turned back to her.

"A request from one that is summoned?" she mused. "What is it?"

"I need a horse to ride on in battle. The shadows tell me of a charger that died in the stable just a while ago. It was my steed in life."

"Bring me the horse and I will give it life," she said. He nodded and ordered an undead stable boy to drag the body over to her. Without a word, the boy ran off. Within the hour, the king had his charger back. The horse had a hide that almost resembled burnished gold. It was a very valuable steed on its own. Saithe replaced her armor and clothing quickly. Horny picked her up again, and they followed the king to a hidden chamber that led under the castle. When they came to the dragon's lair, she realized why the castle was built over it.

The lair was filled with untold wealth. The king told her that, with the castle built over it, they could use the gold as they saw fit. The lair was like a vault and guarded jealously. She smiled with Horny and they knew where their new home was going to be.

"You will be my queen," Horny whispered to her.

"And you my king with a dragon as our guardian! The undead will be our servants, and we shall rule with absolute cruelty!" she grinned. They kissed and he released her. She approached the dragon's corpse and gasped. It was so immense that it could easily fill the chamber they were in. She returned to Horny and he held her.

"Make a tunnel leading out of this cavern!" Saithe commanded. "I don't want to hurt the castle above, but I want the dragon to be able to come and go from here as needed! Make sure the tunnel leads away from the village!"

The zombies nodded as one and began to dig. The shadows told of where weak spots were that were closest to the surface as the zombies dug. The work was done rather quickly, and Saithe looked at the dragon's corpse. She hopped out of Horny's embrace and stood in front of the dragon's head. She let several drops of her blood splash onto the mummified head. The scales reformed in a fast wave down to the tip of the tail. They shone like black onyx stones, and the wings were folded gently against the body. She began to dance in front of the dragon's mouth and she caressed its muzzle. Red eyes blinked open and the body moved.

"_Who woke me?!_" the dragon hissed intricately as it stretched.

"I, Saithe, have awoken you. I offer you a chance at vengeance in exchange for your cooperation," she said silkily.

"_So you say,_" the dragon snorted and looked around. When it saw the king, it instinctively reared to attack.

"Hold!" she said. "Smell the human and think before you strike!"

The dragon blinked at her, but sniffed deeply.

"_My killer is dead? I am dead?!_" it said baffled.

"Yes, you had died. I resurrected you to help me battle for the cause of evil."

"_Long have I awaited this night. Tell me what I must do for vengeance!_"

"First, I need your name," she said.

"_Shadowsbane. I was male in life. I should still be_," he said.

"This is my mate, Horny. He is a Horned Reaper," Saithe said, as Horny came up to the dragon. The two looked at each other and Horny smiled.

"It has been quite a while. I knew I recognized you from somewhere," Horny said with a grin. "I wondered what happened to you."

"_Indeed it has, Reaper. So, you have claimed a mate at long last?_"

"Keep quiet or I'll make you into my new suit of armor!" he snarled.

"_Haven't changed a bit. That's good news at least_," he snorted.

"Listen, you two! I'm not going to baby sit!" Saithe growled. She told Shadowsbane what she had in mind to do with the castle. The dragon agreed readily. The castle would make an accurate headquarters, and the Keeper could even place his Heart in the middle of the room. At that note, the air shifted and a fierce pounding was heard. The conversation was dually noted.

"Our gold!" she hissed.

"Don't worry," Shade said as he appeared. "The shadows have it and will give it back when your room is rebuilt."

"Zombies! Help the Imps dig!" she ordered. New chambers were constructed from the dragon's old ones. As they reached a large chamber, the Imps found a surprise. They brought several dragon eggs to her feet. They almost resembled black onyx oval stones to show what type of eggs they were.

"_They survived this long!_" the dragon said with relief. "_I was afraid they were destroyed! They must have been dormant all these years._"

"Eh?" Horny asked.

"_I found a female of my kind. We were together, if briefly. She was killed by a Knight when she was protecting these eggs. I brought them to my lair and hid them. They should be hatching soon._"

"So, you are not fully dead," Saithe said. "When should they be hatching?"

"_Hopefully within a year_," he replied.

"Hmm…sounds like the same time I want Saithe to raise my young," Horny said. "We shall plan to raise both kin together. It will strengthen our cause."

"The shadows give word that the prince has finished his deed," Shade said with a grin. "He is puzzled as to what to do now."

"Let me talk to him as a mercenary. Everything is coming to plan nicely down here," she said. "He is far too easy to break."

"The moment you come back, I'll keep you busy with something else!" Horny vowed. Saithe kissed him deeply and let the shadows spirit her to the front of the princess's room. She opened the door and smirked at the sight.

Ermit was sitting on the bed and looking at his sister. He had just developed a fetish for her. Birma was looking back at him with a blush before turning over to sleep. She bolted upright at Saithe entering her room.

"Did I interrupt something?" she sneered. Ermit looked at her with wide eyes. It was his first time seeing her, and he had no clue as to how closely she resembled the angel. Saithe glared at him, and he felt his soul sucked down into a vast void that he felt he could not escape from. When she looked away, he shook his head from the sensation.

"You fouled my sister and I purified her!" he snapped. "With that I must ask you to dine with me tomorrow night!"

"Do you know what I eat, prince?" she asked. Birma looked at her and shuddered. Saithe grinned.

"Hearts cut from animals," he said. Saithe nodded.

"Very well, then. It will be a full moon tomorrow night. Be sure the hearts are fresh. Any kind will do," she said. She watched the prince dress and noticed how his gaze never left her until he left the room.

"Now, little princess," Saithe smiled. "It is time to entertain a guest!"

Horny walked out of the shadows and Birma gasped.

"I…I don't know if I…" she cringed.

"Be silent!" she hissed. Birma quieted quickly. Saithe tore the bed sheets off and ripped the nightgown off the princess. She removed her own garments and crawled into the bed. Horny grinned and bolted the door with a heavy table. When he turned, he already saw Saithe licking the princess. Horny snorted and removed his belt. Birma gasped when she saw Horny's length and Saithe chuckled. "The beast belongs to me, princess. He will not touch you."

Birma appeared to sigh with relief, but gasped as Saithe's tail entered her deeply. She gasped again when Saithe bit down on her breast and sucked at her nipple hard. Saithe groaned when Horny claimed her, but then looked up when her father appeared.

"I know of a better way to silence our princess," he grinned and exposed himself. Saithe and Horny grinned with approval. The princess found her mouth full of Shade's length and was finding it hard to believe that she was in an orgy of evil. Saithe made another bite on Birma's other breast and began to suckle with haste. Horny was relentless in his mood for lust and Shade was no better. The princess tried to cry out when Saithe's tail breached her uterus, but was quickly choked off. Several minutes later, the four of them climaxed with an intense wave. Shade smiled and vanished. Saithe retracted her tail, and the princess began to sleep again.

"That was fun!" Horny grinned and licked her neck.

"I know it was," Saithe whispered as she relaxed onto him.

"Of course, I'm still not satisfied!" he growled as he laid Saithe on the floor.

"You're not serious!" she said with surprise as he relaxed his full weight on her.

"Oh, but I am!" he grinned. "The door is bolted down, and the victims are all asleep. Why wouldn't I?"

She was ready to say more, but his intense licking silenced her. Then he got up on all fours and had her do the same. She gasped when he took her and started licking her back. His hands easily reached her breasts and started tugging at her nipple piercings. She arched her head back and felt him licking her neck. When she tried to move, he snarled at her and worked faster. She screamed when he finally bucked hard into her. His heat filled her and spread throughout her body as quickly as he released it. They both collapsed to the floor, and he pulled her on top of him.

"Now what?" she asked.

"For once, I'm not sure," he muttered. "All I know is that I've never been so happy in my life. You are like a drug, and I can't keep you away."

"Actually, why don't you take care of that Priest? The last thing we need is him snooping around the catacombs."

"You're right!" he growled. "Shade! Where are you?"

"I am here," Shade said. "Let me guess…the Priest?"

"Maybe you should ignore the shadows long enough for me to tell you what to do!" Horny growled. "Get lost!"

Shade grinned and vanished. Horny muttered, but found himself looking up into Saithe's gaze. Her hair draped over him like a blanket once again. He felt himself lost in her dark eyes, and he responded to her kiss like a madman. He rolled her underneath him and refused to release her. He loved pinning her down beneath him. They never heard the hidden side door creak open to the bedchamber.

"Demon!" the prince screamed. He had decided to go back to check on his sister and to see if the mercenary was still there. When he found the main door to her chamber bolted down, he suspected the worst and went through a hidden passageway. Horny looked up with a horrific snarl.

"Fool prince!" Saithe hissed. "Leave now before he slaughters you! Your sister will not be hurt while I'm here!"

"This…this…thing…is your guardian?!" the prince said with wide eyes.

"This thing is the love my soul churns for! This thing is my life!" Saithe spat.

"Human…" Horny said with his eyes glowing furiously. Ermit backed up fearfully. He began to panic. His eyes strayed to the giant sickle that lay within the demon's grasp.

"Will he let you dine with me?" the prince asked.

"He will as long as you do nothing to hurt me," Saithe said with spite. Horny hissed and began to get up to stand. The prince bolted from the room. He growled with frustration and anger as he lay back down on Saithe.

"Stupid mortal!" Horny snarled. "I'll kill him!"

"Later, darling, later," Saithe said with a purr. Horny glared at her, but he realized he lost the fight when she glared back.

"I swear, if you were in a Torture Chamber…" he rumbled as she kissed him again. She ran her hands over his waist and up his sides. He growled in the kiss and rolled so that she was on top of him again. After another minute, he pushed her away gently. He wanted to get slightly intimate with her in another way.

"What is it?" she asked. He looked at her and placed his hand on her cheek.

"You know, you _are_ the most beautiful creature that _I've_ ever seen," he grunted.

"Are you serious?" she asked skeptically.

"Have I ever lied to you?" he asked. "I may have beaten you and abused you, but I have no reason to lie. Unless, of course, it's to someone I hate."

She giggled at that and rested her cheek against the base of his neck.

"The first time I saw you, I thought you were the most terrifying creature I've ever seen in my life. I didn't know if you were going to kill me or going to ignore me. I never expected for you to love me. That was the last thought on my mind."

"Humph. I could have done both of your first choices. Love was the last thing on my mind as well," he sighed. "I want you to drink from me."

"But, I have no need to."

"I want you to."

"If you insist. Give me your wrist."

"No. My neck is where you shall take your nourishment."

"What?!" she asked, as she lifted herself up to look at him.

"Something in my gut tells me that you should do this," he said sternly. She blinked her eyes slowly at him and he relaxed. He felt her lean down and start to gently kiss around the base of his neck. When she found a pulse, she sank her teeth into the strong muscle, and she was startled when he shuddered. He felt himself sink into a lull of relaxation, and he began to think of certain situations.

It was strange to be lying on the ground with a female he actually loved to pieces. The sensation was strange, yet horrifyingly frightening. Of course, he did love the way her body moved on his, and he knew there would be nothing to tear her away from him. Yet, he remembered when life was so easy when he was alone. There were many times in the night he would stay awake and listen to the restless stir of Imps fixing damaged walls and tunneling through new halls. He never really needed to sleep, but it was nice to do when he had the chance. When he woke up the night before with Saithe in his arms, he was startled to find her breathing to be so soothing to him. He actually fell back to sleep for the first time in ages.

He remembered how the first prince killed her, and he trembled with rage. He refused to let that happen again. He had never felt so desperately alone in his entire life. He remembered the grief and rage he felt when he saw only his throne in the lair. He had never felt so much anger that he had failed! Then he realized why he wanted a family. If she did become lost to him again with no way of resurrection, he needed to have something that was a part of her. Of course, he would make sure that she came to no harm in the future, but he had just realized how much she really meant to him.

"Horny," she breathed. He looked at her. Her lips were smeared with his blood, but he was surprised to find tears on her face.

"Why are you crying?!" he asked with shock.

"Your thoughts…I heard them…" she whispered. He was speechless. She licked her lips clean and kissed him as deeply as she could. He shuddered when the kiss began to turn into something else. Normally he would despise such a thing, but he felt that this one moment was worthy. He actually groaned when she reached up and grabbed his horns. He wanted her, but in a much different way. When he turned to have her underneath him again, he began to take her slowly and gently.

She was shocked of his mood, but then she realized he wasn't just taking her like he normally did. He was making love to her. This was a slow, gentle slide into some sort of fiery oblivion that she had undeniably craved. She had never imagined that he could be like this. After an hour, they finished with a climax so great it left them breathless. He couldn't trust himself to stand much less talk, and he rolled to hug her to his chest. All that they could do was hold each other. She rubbed her hands along his heated skin, and he sighed with his arms locked around her.

"So, you read my thoughts when you drank from my neck?" he asked lazily.

"I did," she said. "Maybe, if I am unconscious, you can do the same to me?"

"That is an intriguing thought. Hopefully the situation won't come to that, but, if it does, I will take it into consideration."

"To learn what happened to me?"

"Of course. That way I'll know how to make you well, and I'll know who to kill!" he grinned. She smiled and they kissed once more before separating long enough to dress. He grabbed her rear and she growled at him. He chuckled and breathed deeply. They both decided to go back to their lair and call it a day.


	14. Chapter 14

Shade watched the Priest from the safety of the shadows. He had watched the human for the past several hours just to make sure he would have no harm done to him. At the stroke of midnight he grinned. He materialized and walked forward.

The Priest was meditating by a clear pool of water he collected in a basin. He was trying to recharge some of his strength. He was healing the minds of peasants who believed they saw undead in the graveyard.

"There are no undead in the graveyard," he muttered. "I sensed nothing out of the ordinary! Everything was perfectly fine."

"Ah, but that was above ground!" Shade sneered. "Can you sense below ground? Are you even capable of doing that?"

The Priest looked up at the demon with an astonished look.

"I…I was wondering why the peasants were claimed ill when I found no illness!"

"Gee, I wonder!" Shade said sarcastically. "Now, you have a choice."

"I will not join the likes of evil!" the Priest scowled. "If you try to kill me, I'll resurrect myself! I know just how to deal with the likes of the shadow!"

Shade growled when a light shield was chanted. An electric glow of light appeared on the Priest's skin, and Shade instinctively drew away from him.

"Light shield…hmm…" the Shadow Demon thought. Then he had an idea.

"The dark cannot touch me!"

"How about an object made from light that is now used for darkness?" Shade sneered. He withdrew the sacrificial dagger. The Priest recognized it and cowered.

"That blade! It can't be! It was given as a gift to our neighboring king for a betrothal! Even then, they knew that it was not to be used!"

"Well, guess what? That kingdom is destroyed! Did you know that the prince has actually used this dagger?"

"What?! No! Impossible! Anyone who uses that dagger is evil!"

"Oh, yes. He was evil, but then he turned back to the light. Then he used it to kill my daughter!" Shade snarled.

"The blade can only hold one soul at a time!" the Priest argued.

"I resurrected her without a problem!" he grinned. The Priest turned to run, and Shade threw the dagger.

"No!" the Priest screamed as the dagger hit dead on. The light shield faded as the human's soul was sucked into the blade. Shade grinned and picked up the corpse.

"Now, you see, you have no choice," he muttered as he vanished with the body. He dropped the Priest off in a Prison and placed the soul back into the body. The Priest woke with a start at where he was.

"Ah!" he cried as he found himself among evil creatures.

"Have a pleasant night," Shade grinned as the Priest vanished to be tortured. Shade found his way to Saithe's lair and stopped in thought. Horny had her locked in a tight embrace, and they were sleeping in her crippled heart bed.

"_Who are you?!_" Shadowsbane hissed behind Shade. The demon turned around and bowed with a form respect.

"I am Shade, Saithe's sire. I see that you have seen me, even though I am cloaked in shadows. You are well versed in our ways."

"_I am the black dragon, Shadowsbane. I, myself, live in the shadows._"

"Yet, your name suggests that you kill shadows. Ironic, isn't it?"

"_I know. I don't really care,_" the dragon snorted. "_You should not be here._"

"Why are you so protective?" Shade countered.

"_I am protecting the one that gave me life again. You should be thankful I did not wake Horny when I had the chance._"

"Very well, then. You've made your point. What do you propose we do?"

"_I suggest you start having the few zombie guards that we have to start infiltrating the catacombs. There is easy access to the catacombs by having the Imps dig a hole to the right of the main feeding chamber._"

"I see. They shall get to work immediately."

"_I shall scour the air above the castle and see how many humans we are dealing with. Sometimes just by looking at things at a different perspective can help us win the odds. Weaknesses can be exploited._"

"I have wings as well. I'll join you in the sky later."

The dragon rumbled and walked out of the tunnel. The walls were already smoothing nicely from the rubbing of dragon scales. Shade sighed and decided to do as the dragon suggested.


	15. Chapter 15

It was finally sunset and Ermit could hardly wait. He had several cow hearts on a platter, but he had one specially made. One cow was given poisons to make it fall unconscious. He was hoping the drugs would affect Saithe. He had this heart go on the very bottom of the platter so nothing would appear out of the ordinary. He had already bid his sister good night, and he ended up staying in her bedroom a little more than he would have liked. It was then that he realized that Saithe had corrupted him as well.

"We shall see how she likes her supper," he growled. "Maybe I am corrupted enough to be with her?"

He sent a servant to scour the castle for Saithe. After an hour, she appeared in her black leather finery and snarled.

"What is it, prince?" she hissed.

"I have personally prepared your meal," he said as he bowed to her. She saw the hearts and smiled slightly. She saw the prince was having the usual meats and breads.

"You will not share the same meal as myself?" she asked.

"Ah, unfortunately, I do not like the taste of raw meat," he said. She snorted, but sat down in the chair he offered. She smirked at the offered eating utensils and waved them aside. He winced when she picked up the first heart with her fingers and bit down hard. He tried to eat, but was nearly overwhelmed with illness when he saw blood spill down her chin and back on her plate. The crunching of hard muscle and the sight of the strong chambers being torn open almost did him in, too. She was enjoying her meal and his discomfort rather immensely. When she reached the final heart, she pushed the plate away. She did clean herself up with a napkin out of spite and sat back with a smile.

"You are not finished!" he said. "Surely you have room for one more?"

"Oh, but I am so full!" she said. "I cannot eat another bite!"

"You don't understand! If the servants see what you have eaten, then they may uproar against me!" he whispered. She smiled at his pity.

"Why is it so important for me to eat every piece on my plate? I shall save it for a later time. I do get hungry later, too, you know."

"But, it is considered rudeness to not eat the last morsel!" he argued. She growled and looked at the heart on her plate. She began to play with it by poking it with a fork. She loved making him angry! Ermit was getting frustrated. He decided to act desperate by begging, "Please! I insist you eat it before my servants find out what I'm hosting in my walls! I cannot let my people find out the truth about you!"

She grumbled and took a savage bite out of the heart in a form of rage. As the blood spilled down her throat, she realized what the heart was.

"You fool!" she gasped as the drugs took control of her. She tried to spit out the meat to fight the drugs, but found herself falling unconscious. Her body slumped back in the chair, and she let out one sorrowful sigh before breathing evenly.

"Now, my beautiful mercenary, we shall see if the demon will render you over to me!" he whispered and kissed her cheek. He picked her up carefully in his arms and took her into the one room he knew that could contain her. He opened the door to the torture chamber and bound her to a rack. She began to regain consciousness, but she fell back into darkness when he chanted soft words over her face. When the spell took hold, he smiled and said, "Only a kiss from my lips on yours will wake you. I shall wake you when I am victorious!"

The prince grinned and stepped into a corner to hide. An hour went by with no response. Finally, he came back out and cut a small wound on her neck with a nearby dagger. When he hid again, an instant reaction came to pass.

Horny jumped out of the shadows with rage. He felt the small pinprick on Saithe's neck and realized that his blood had practically made her one with him. When he saw where she was, he was livid, but he had to ensure that she was still alive. He approached Saithe cautiously and placed a hand on her breast. He felt her heart beating and sighed with relief. The moment his tongue touched the wound on her neck to lick it closed, he heard her frantic thoughts. He stood up with a snarl and whirled to meet the prince. His scythe was readied in his hands as quickly as he turned.

"You would dare to tear Saithe from me?!" he snarled.

"I am claiming her from you!" Ermit said valiantly. "I don't care if she is evil! I am a lover of beauty, and I shall have her as my queen!"

"Lover of beauty, eh? How about a lover of kin?!" he grinned.

"Why, you…!" the prince blustered and pulled out his sword.

"Bring it on!" Horny snarled and swiped his scythe in the air.

"I'll have you know that I'm second to Clyde the Great!" the prince boasted.

"And I'll have you know that I slew him as easily as cutting out hearts from chickens!" Horny growled. The prince paled.

"How…" he started.

"I killed your frail sister's betrothed, and I destroyed the kingdom after that! Now, I shall destroy you!"

"NO!" a third voice shouted with command. They both turned at the noise. Ermit paled even further at the sight of his own father glaring at him. Horny grinned and stood up tall. He decided to see what would happen.

"Father?!" the prince said with disbelief. "You're dead!"

"How can I be dead when I am here?!" he snapped. "You never loved me!"

"What?"

"You never paid your respects when they were due!"

"You can't be my Father!" the prince hissed.

"Then fight me! If you win, then you'll know I'm not your father!" the king taunted. The prince looked back between Horny and the undead king. He attacked the king. Just as he was about to clash swords with his father, Horny struck out with his scythe and beheaded the prince.

"Pathetic!" Horny growled.

"I could have killed him," the king said.

"But you didn't, now did you?" Horny scowled. "I don't want that idiot brought back, anyways. Why don't you pay your respects to your daughter?"

The king laughed evilly and nodded. Then he thought and asked, "What should I do when I finish visiting her?"

"Don't feel bad if you kill her. She is of no use to us now. Saithe and I are your masters, and that princess is a waste of space," Horny said with a shrug. The king laughed again and walked off. Horny picked up the slack jawed skull of the prince and pressed the dead lips against Saithe's lips. The moment her eyes snapped open, he threw the head aside. She spat out the piece of drugged heart that was still in her mouth and trembled with relief.

"Horny!" she said with a smile. He snorted and ripped off her bonds. She hugged him tightly and he made a half-hearted growl.

"New rule! No more dining with princes!" he snapped.

"Whatever you wish!" she breathed. He smiled and carried her to the throne room. The undead had already killed the living, and Saithe escaped Horny to raise the new dead. The princess and her brother were burned in a pit with others they did not deem worthy to raise. They changed the castle colors to black and red. The new castle image was a horned skull with fangs.


	16. Chapter 16

The undead were able to work in the daylight and helped elude any traveler that came to the town. Of course, they were slaughtered on sight, but that didn't matter. Shadowsbane had an effective scouting routine worked out and began to fly out slightly farther each night. The Priest was a wonder by healing the undead from daily rot. He did feel very uneasy about it at first, but grew into the part quite well. He even managed to make a birth control potion for Saithe. The potion stayed in her system for several days at a time. Horny felt somewhat relieved about that.

"Well, my love," Saithe said with a smile. "What do we do tonight?"

"I don't know," Horny grumbled. They were seated on the thrones and in constant thought. Saithe gazed up at the shelf above the great double doors and smiled. The two crowns were seated there, and she couldn't wait to add to their collection. Horny grumbled and sighed. They were both bored and were tired of killing chickens for fun. It had been a month since they claimed the castle as their own and had enjoyed it immensely. Something was bound to change. That was eminent when her father appeared. Horny was eager to see what he had to say.

"I think I know what can be done," Shade said with a smile.

"Yes, Father?" Saithe asked.

"There is another castle not far off. Shadowsbane has detected it."

"Really?" Horny asked with a grin. "It's about time!"

"What do the shadows reveal?" Saithe asked.

"Well, there are two princes there. Brothers. Identical twins, in fact," Shade sighed. "They are constantly feuding over each other!"

"Should be an easy killing," Saithe grinned.

"You won't be caught?" Horny snarled. She scowled at him and stood up in her armor. She walked to the window and grew out her demon wings. She snapped her tail at him with defiance.

"I'll have my dragon escort me to the castle. I want to see the grounds," she said.

"Suit yourself. I'll slap around the Mistress while you're gone," he grinned.

"You do that, and I'll slap _you_ around!" she hissed jealously. He beckoned for her, and she walked over to him. He pulled her into his lap and kissed her soundly.

"Be careful," he whispered in her ear.

"Always," she said with love. "The shadows will send word of what I find."

"I'll bite your neck to make sure they tell the truth."

"Have they ever lied to you?" she asked in a husky whisper. He growled at her. She always played this game with him, and he never got tired of it. She went over to the window and spread her wings to stretch.

"When you get back," he snarled.

"Of course, My Lord," she said with a mocking bow. He grinned and watched her fly out the window. He looked at Shade and nodded. The Shadow Demon smiled and vanished. Even her father wanted her protected at all times.

Saithe flew up to the dragon and settled herself onto his neck.

"_The castle is quite large. Much larger than this one. It will be fun to tear down!_" Shadowsbane chuckled.

"We must keep to the plan at the moment. Let us scout the castle at a safe distance so I can see how to approach it," Saithe chided. The dragon nodded and sped off with her. She discovered the castle was built on a rich, vast meadow. As they scouted more, they saw that both princes had their rooms on opposite sides of the castle, but they both faced the meadow. She looked at the full moon and whispered her plan to the dragon. With a roar that sounded like laughter, they descended onto the meadow.

"What are you planning?!" Horny growled. Shade had transported him to the meadow personally the moment the dragon landed.

"Well, my love, I was planning to dance nude in the meadow to entice the princes out in the open. Then I would become an angel and talk to them!" she grinned. Horny thought about it and grinned.

"Yes, that would be a nice perspective! We shall watch in the shadows," he said. Saithe slid off the dragon's back, and Horny scooped her up to kiss her. When the two of them vanished, Saithe removed her armor and set it aside. She reverted to her human form. She smiled and whispered a song as she focused on the two towered rooms. When she saw the lights appear, she walked to the middle of the meadow and began to dance.

She heard them walk to their windows and she felt them staring. She smiled and began to stretch to perform some interesting dance positions. She felt Horny's glare on her, and she knew he was restless. The moment the brothers had begun to approach her, she stopped dancing and stood up tall. She took a moment to examine her prey.

They were clearly identical twins. They were both skinny with black hair and green eyes. If there was any difference, it was that one wore a slight beard. The other was clean shaven. They were both in blue silk bed clothes, and both were fixated on her.

"Charles, do you see what I see?" the clean-shaven one asked.

"I do, Jordon. It appears that this poor maiden is in distress!"

"I? In distress?" Saithe said with a slight surprise. She chanted under her breath and her angel guise appeared. Her great, golden wings flicked once as they folded behind her back, and she smoothed out the white fabric she wore. She had found a spell with her father's help that let her reach into her little pouch whenever she needed to.

"An…angel?" Jordon said with amazement. She smiled softly and pulled out her harp. The other prince was completely enthralled with her. She began to play.

"Greetings, children," she whispered. "It is not often I appear in a form like that."

"Greetings and salutations," Charles said solemnly. "I welcome you to the kingdom of El'neraith."

"What?!" his brother shrieked. "I was to greet her first!"

"Come, now, brother!" Charles said. "You were too enthralled with her breasts!"

"I was not!" he said defensively. "You were!"

"Boys, please!" Saithe said sternly. "I am not an object to be fought over!"

"Of course, not!" Charles said. "A beautiful angel like yourself should not be subject to normal chattel. I'm not sure if my brother would say the same, though."

"Why, you…!" Jordon snarled and lunged at his brother's throat. The two of them fought in the grass like children and finally Saithe got tired of it.

"ENOUGH!" she screamed. The valley echoed with her voice and the two brothers looked at her with fear. She resumed playing her harp. She refocused to calm herself, and she could feel Horny laughing at her. "That is quite enough! I came here to speak with you! Not mother you! Now will the two of you have enough decency to sit down and listen to what I have to say?!"

The two men looked at her and grumbled their agreements. They sat next to each other in an uneasy truce. Saithe had managed to regain her common sense and was still fuming. Horny was still laughing at her.

"I apologize," Charles frowned.

"I, too, apologize," Jordan mumbled. When it was clear that they still showed jealous looks at each other, she knew it wasn't going to work this way.

"I was hoping that I would have enough time to speak with you, but my time has run out," she whispered. "I will have to speak with you two on separate occasions to keep this from happening again. My time is short on this plane, as it is."

"No, please!" Jordon begged. "We'll be neutral!"

"For now," Charles muttered.

"Very well, then," she sighed. "I was wondering if the two of you could help me with a disturbing situation."

"How can we help you?" Charles asked.

"Long ago, before I died," Saithe began with a controlled sense of urgency. "I was a great noblewoman. I have been granted a chance to relive my life as the same girl you saw dancing in the meadow. I want to relive the life I once had. The only thing is that I am cursed at the same time."

"How are you cursed?" Jordon asked.

"I cannot eat any food that mortals eat," she said. "I can only eat freshly harvested hearts from living creatures. I cannot drink water. I can only drink blood."

"My God…" Charles said with a chill. "That _is_ an evil curse!"

"Who placed it on you?" Jordon asked.

"A creature so terrifyingly evil that I cannot dare to mention his name for fear of summoning him!" she shuddered. "I prayed in the clouds to have the chance to come down, and he gave me that chance. I can still hear his echoing laughter in my mind! He believes that my curse cannot be lifted…"

"We would do anything to help you!" Charles said.

"I appreciate that. My new temporary life will start tomorrow at sunset. I must take my leave now," she said.

"How will we know who you are?" Jordon asked.

"I will be in the same form you saw me in when you woke. I may be dressed in peasant garb, so do not try to shun me if I approach you."

"How can we not shun such a beautiful lady like you?" Charles asked. She chuckled and took to the air. The brothers fought over each other as to who would court the lady while she was on the earth and she grumbled. Shade flew up to meet with her.

"I have a proposition," he said.

"Anything!" she said as she glared at the two men.

"Convince one prince to hunt for you. I shall take over the beast he is hunting and threaten to kill him. While that is done, have Horny cast an illusion over himself to be the prince that is out hunting. When the other human sees you with Horny, the seed of jealousy will be planted," he said with a grin.

"Father! That plan is brilliant!" she said and hugged him. He hugged her back and released her. He knew she was going to be in a fit of rage if she had to deal with both of them. With only one to coerce, it would be much easier.

"Now, which one shall I help you entice?" he asked.

"Charles. Jordon is the one who gets jealous easily. I suspect he is the younger."

"Very true. We shall get to work the moment you get settled into the palace."

She flew down to the ground, and Horny scooped her up in his arms. She whispered Shade's plan into his ear and he laughed heartily. It would work like a charm.

"I am going to take you back to my lair," Horny whispered. "I want you to dance for me like you did just a bit ago."

"Do you want me to sing, too?" she asked with smile.

"That's not a bad notion, but I think the dancing would be more desirable."

"We shall see what…rises to the occasion?" she grinned. He scowled at her and got onto Shadowsbane's back. They flew back to the castle.


	17. Chapter 17

At sunset, she arrived at the meadow. The undead maids had dressed her up to look completely bedraggled and dirty. She slipped past the castle guards and walked onto the main road. She shied away from everyone and managed to find her way to the castle's main doors. She waited. When she saw the princes, she ran in front of their horses and spooked them to rear.

"What?!" Charles said with surprise.

"You mangy cur! You should watch where you're going!" Jordon spat, as he got his brown charger under control.

"Oh, I beg your pardon!" she whispered sadly. "I was shoved out into your way, and I had no idea…"

"Wait a minute," Charles said softly. He got off his white horse and knelt down to look at her. She was sprawled on the ground and whimpered. "It's you! Jordon! It's her! She made an appearance!"

"What? You mean I insulted her?!" he said with disbelief.

"She warned us to keep an eye out for her!" his brother growled. "My lady, we shall get you rested and cleaned up. My brother and I had just decided to go out to hunt for you. Jordon! Get a servant out here!"

Saithe smiled and let herself lean close to Charles when his brother rode back into the main gates. She beckoned for Charles to lean close to her.

"I am more interested in you than your brother," she breathed enticingly in his ear. "I hope we find a way to be alone soon!"

He stammered and looked at her blushing face. Jordon returned as quickly as he left. A servant appeared behind him and was eager to do his master's bidding.

"Jordon, we'll hunt later. I think we have enough here at the castle to feed her for now, don't you think?" he asked.

"Yes…we do. We just got in a new shipment of cattle. I think if we slaughter the largest one it may suffice."

"We will feast, then!" Charles said, as he pulled Saithe to her feet. "As for you, my dear, you will get cleaned up before you join us. Everything is under control!"

"What of your parents?" she asked. "Will they join us?"

"Unfortunately my Father, King Mandan, is away at war. He should be here in the next couple of days. As for our Mother, she had passed on years ago from a sickness that we could not cure."

"So sad! I shall look forward to seeing your father, then," she said with smile. _Oh, yes_, she thought. _I will look forward to seeing him and his crown!_

She was ushered into a large bedchamber and she told the maids to leave. She removed her garments and slipped into the heated tub. When Horny stepped into the room, he grunted, "Is the water perfumed?"

"Horribly. You won't like it," she sighed.

"I'll tolerate it," he grinned as he stepped into the water with her.

"It's not blood, and you'll smell of roses. You're sure?"

"I'm already in the water!" he snarled. "What more is there to ask?"

"Well, I'm just saying that…Hey!" she scowled as he crushed her to him. He silenced her with his mouth, and he began to massage her body with his hands.

"I'm keeping a _very_ close eye on you!" he growled in her ear. "I will not be disappointed by those princes!"

"Actually, I hear Jordon's footsteps," she grinned. "Do you have that illusion worked up, yet?"

"I do, in fact," he grinned. He chanted and the filmy shadow of the human's guise went over his form. They both heard the door peek open, and she was thrilled when she called out the name of the prince's older brother. She saw Jordon's eyes harden at the sight of his older brother taking the lady that he thought was his. The seed of jealousy was planted. All Saithe and Horny had to do was repeat the same incident a few more times to turn the jealousy into absolute hatred. Then the hatred could be turned into a frenzy of murder. The door closed just as Horny bucked into her with completion. Saithe rested against his chest.

"Now that that's over with," she grinned. He kissed her as the illusion vanished.

"Do you think we can get him to turn?" he asked.

"Why don't you give him the offer of killing his brother in exchange for me? That way when Jordon does try to claim me, you can kill him."

"Yes…I'll just tell him that I thought I was talking to his brother!" he grinned. They both laughed and he hugged her tightly. He kissed her again before he released her to leave for the shadows. She got up and stretched with contentment before drying herself off. As she reached for the wardrobe to dress, Shade entered the room.

"Very nicely done with Jordon," he complimented as he watched her.

"Thank you!" she smiled. "What is it that you came here for?"

"I just wanted to let you know that there is a very large wild boar roaming the area. I'm going to possess it. Tell Charles of it and let him know that, if he manages to bring the heart to you, it can be out of an act of pure undying love. Something along that plan will work either way. I'll just make sure he follows it to no end. I'll lead him on a wild chase for a couple of days. That should give you enough time to corrupt Jordon even further," he grinned.

"Wonderful!" she grinned back. "I heard the king is supposed to be arriving. If you let Charles meet up with his father, you can have Shadowsbane kill them both together. Just save the crown."

"An excellent notion! I'll lead them towards our castle. Shadowsbane will think they are going after his lair. He'll be defending our territory!" he grinned.

"Let the dragon know beforehand so he can prepare."

"Of course, I will. I'll let you dress," he said. When Shade vanished, she pulled out a simple gown of red velvet that gave her an ample cleavage. She fit it over her skulls easily and managed to tie the threads. She brushed out her hair and put on a set of matching slippers. She opened the door and walked to the main hall. Every man she passed turned their head and she grinned evilly. She truly had the finest body that anyone had ever seen. She grinned again when she knew it only belonged to Horny.

She made her way to the dining hall and the princes were both seated. They both stood up with surprise when she entered the room. She made her way to the servants' table, but Charles cleared his throat.

"Ah, please, sit up here with us," Charles beckoned. She smiled and nodded demurely. Jordon was green with envy when she sat next to his brother. When they brought out her goblet of blood and the large heart on her platter, the servants paled with disgust. Charles told them that she was cursed and this was the only food she could eat. All of them hoped this strange meal would pass in time. When the whispers started to filter from the servants' table, Charles glowered with anger and smacked his hand on the table. That stopped it all together. When she was escorted back to her room by Charles, she drew him close to whisper in his ear.

"There is a massive wild boar that is taking over the countryside," she whispered. "I have a great feeling that if it is killed and I eat its heart, my curse will be over!"

"Do you think so?" he asked.

"The only problem is that I only want the one I wish to be with to kill it. If Jordon kills it, I'll have to be with him," she sighed.

"I shall leave right now to hunt the beast!" he said. "I do not know how long it will be, but I shall be victorious!"

"Just so you know, it is a very intelligent creature and will no doubt go towards other lairs for safety. Even dangerous ones that could hold monstrosities. I have been trying to locate this boar for some time, but I never suspected it would be here."

"How do you know of this?"

"My curse is tied to the beast," she sighed.

"Boar heart will be served the moment I carve it out from the chest of that beast!" he vowed. He kissed her hand gently and backed away. He would have kissed her, but it would not have been appropriate. He bade her good night and left for the stables.

"Too easy!" she grinned with her fangs revealed. She was still hungry. The single heart she was given for a meal was not enough. It was also too small for her appetite. She moved into the bedroom to lock the door and figure out what to do.

"Here," Horny growled and dumped a platter of hearts on the bed for her. She grinned and they both feasted.

"So, where did you get these?" she asked as he licked her clean.

"Some servants were drunk near the back of the castle," he grinned. She giggled and tore into another heart. She told him what Charles was going to do as well as what Shade had planned. He laughed and ripped off her dress. He put on the illusion guise and threw the platter aside. He relaxed onto the bed and she rested on his chest. When she pulled up the covers, he grumbled from the unusual feeling of soft down, but he shrugged it off. He knew they were only doing this to piss off Jordon.

"Now what?" she asked.

"We'll sleep. I'll walk around the castle with you at my side constantly. This way, it will appear that we are completely in love."

"Which we are," she grinned. "It will make Jordon think he hasn't a chance in Hell and will make him easy for you to subdue!"

They kissed each other deeply and she settled down to sleep. Horny sensed that Jordon was watching them, and he let himself smile somewhat smugly. It would be incredibly easy to conquer this castle.


	18. Chapter 18

Charles stormed into the stables and readied his white charger for the hunt. He gathered several of his best huntsmen and told them what they were going after.

"This boar has already caused uproar in the smaller villages! We must kill it!" he growled. The men were eager for the hunt and got the hounds ready. They took off within the hour. He dared not tell his brother and could only pray he did not notice his absence. They rode for the better part of the night searching for the beast.

"Well, hello," Shade grinned, as he spotted the massive black boar sleeping in the nearby brush. Its size was impressive. It was twice as large as any boar buck he had ever seen, and the giant, foot-long tusks were yellowed and chipped with age. He crept over to it and dissolved into a cloud of smoke. The smoke fell onto the boar like a blanket, and it woke with fury and confusion. When it was quickly overcome, Shade laughed and whispered in the tiny mind, "Got you!"

Now as the boar, he gave out a savage snarl and ran towards the prince. He tossed his aged tusks into the air and charged at the horse's feet to try and impale a leg.

"Whoa!" Charles screamed as his horse reared from the surprise attack. The boar was indeed huge, as it stood about half the size of the horse. With a squealing hiss, the boar attacked the hounds and tore several of them in half with a strength that it clearly didn't normally possess. Then it began to run in the opposite direction.

"Your Majesty?! What in the world was that?!" a hunter gaped.

"She's right!" Charles breathed. "That thing is part of her curse! Men! That's our target! Attack!"

"Yes, Sire!" the hunters chorused and gave a signal to the dogs. The horns sounded and they all gave chase. He was led clear through the other side of the forest and, with surprise, encountered his father's entourage.

"Father!" Charles said with surprise.

"My son! What are you doing out here in the middle of the night? I was planning to surprise you with my coming in the morning!" he said with regret.

"Father, a wild boar has been causing uproar in the commerce! Jordon is home protecting the castle, and I came out here to kill it. It is horribly intelligent!" he said quickly. His father thought.

"A boar, eh? Well, we haven't had boar meat in quite some time. I'll help!" he said and signaled his men. Then, he dropped his mouth in shock when the boar charged into the camp. He never knew a boar could get so large!

"Attack!" they both shouted. The boar squealed and ran off. They gave chase.

"Now to take them to Shadowsbane," Shade grinned with his boar smile. He ran at top speed towards the lair. He slowed up just enough to make the humans think they were gaining on him before bursting with speed again.

"This creature!" the king growled. "It is not a normal beast!"

"I know it, Father!" Charles hissed. "That's why it must be destroyed! It killed several peasants already and half my hounds! I don't want any more lives taken!"

"Right!" his father agreed. They took off into the coming dawn.


	19. Chapter 19

Jordon's jealousy grew with each passing minute. He watched his brother court the lady to no end. He took her on a grand tour of the castle, let her picnic with him in the garden and he even sang a love sonnet to her! His jealousy had soon grown into rage. He decided to confront his brother.

"Come with me," Horny said in the illusion guise of Charles. He had perfected the illusion to mask his voice as well.

"Of course, my love," Saithe said happily. He took her to the meadow.

"Now, I am going to really make him burst into fits of rage!" he grinned.

"Go right ahead!" she giggled. He waited until Jordon was in sight. Then he went on bended knee.

"I feel as though I've known you forever," he said loudly. "Please, my lady, will you marry me?"

"Oh! I would love to!" she said and they embraced. Jordon stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes were wide with disbelief. His brother had just proposed to the girl and she said yes! He narrowed his eyes in hatred and stormed back into the castle. Horny heard him whisper that he wanted to kill his brother. That was the alarm that he was ready to be turned.

"Now, my young bride," Horny said with a grin. "I shall make my deal to him!"

"Be quick, husband. I grow hungry," she growled. He kissed her and the shadows transported him to Jordon's room. He dropped the illusion and brandished his scythe. He waited. He was glad that he didn't have to wait long. Jordon stormed into his room with a scowl and began tossing things around in his anger. He finally calmed down enough to realize that something else was in the room with him. He turned and paled at the sight of Horny.

"You summoned me?" Horny snarled.

"I? I summoned you? I believe you are mistaken!" Jordon said.

"You did summon me the moment you whispered that you wanted to kill your brother. Tell me. Why do you want him killed?"

"I…it's not fair!" he spat. "Charles gets everything! Just because he's older, he gets everything! He gets the castle when Father dies, the money, even the new lady that came to us! He…I feel tossed aside!"

"Hmm…yes. Jealousy can do that to someone," Horny mused. "Why don't we make…a deal?"

"What deal would you offer me?"

"Not quite the same deal as the angel you spoke with, but a different deal."

"You are the one who cursed that lovely lady?"

"Oh, yes. Saithe…quite a lovely young sprite indeed," he grinned. "I will give you the opportunity to slay your own brother and take her hand in marriage. All you need to do is grow the little stubble of hair on your chin, and you can easily take your brother's place. I can set up the whole arrangement for you."

"What is the catch to this scheme?" Jordon asked. Horny grinned.

"You must wallow in eternal darkness forever. However, if Saithe chooses to leave your side for some reason, you cannot complain."

"For some reason?" Jordon repeated.

"You must remember," Horny said evilly. "She is something not of this world. Her time here is temporary unless I choose it. I may make her…spend time with me."

"What? You would dare to corrupt a beautiful girl?"

"I never said I already did," Horny said with a savage grin. The prince paled.

"You mean she could be using us?"

"No. She truly loves your brother," he snorted. "I can force her to love you."

"To have her even for one night…" Jordon seethed. "I'll do it!"

"Remember," Horny growled. "You are to be in darkness!"

"I know it!" Jordon seethed. "I've always wanted to be first…"

"And it will be so! Right now, a wild boar is leading your brother and father on a wild goose chase to a dragon's lair."

"What? But in the meadow I saw him!"

Horny started laughing loudly. Jordon didn't know what was going on.

"Once you are in darkness you stay in darkness," Horny grinned. "_I_ was portraying as your brother, little human! A little illusion to stir one's hatred!"

"_You_ used us?!" Jordon shrieked.

"Ah, but Saithe does not know it, either. She is a rather delectable little girl," he grinned. "Quite a charmer, she is."

"So, all those times I spied on you…" Jordon said.

"Yes. It was me. She said she would marry me, not your brother!" he grinned.

"Then, I should be angry at you!" Jordon hissed.

"Be angry with me, and you will not live! Now, do you want to gain control of this castle or not?" Horny asked with a smoldering glare. Jordon couldn't believe how easily he slipped into the trap. He was now trapped in darkness. He gave his word. This creature was now his master. He lowered his head with distraught.

"Yes. Let's kill them!" Jordon said.

"First, I must marry Saithe," Horny grinned. "Then again, I may be already married to her."

"My love?" Saithe asked as she entered the room. She saw Horny and ran up to him with joy. He scooped her up in his arms and kissed her deeply.

"You have no illusions on!" Jordon said with amazement. Then he saw Saithe grow out a set of black demon wings and a whip-like tail. Horny grinned and ripped off her dress. Jordon gasped at the sight of her pierced nipples. Apparently, Shade had cast an illusion on her when she first danced in the meadow to hide the skulls.

"It appears that we dropped our disguises," Saithe whispered in his ear.

"For once, I don't care!" Horny grinned and kissed her again.

"B-but…how can this be?!" Jordon stammered. Saithe looked over at him and smiled her fanged smile before whispering to Horny again.

"We are already married," Horny growled. "We were married the moment you were born."

"I know. It would just seem more natural…especially if Charles saw it!" she grinned. Horny smiled and looked over at Jordon. He pointed his scythe at the human.

"You will go to the dragon's lair! Tell the dragon to gather as much food as he can. There is to be…a wedding feast!" Horny commanded. Jordon was going to protest, but something caught in his throat. He had already made a vow. He had to obey.

"Yes…Master!" Jordon growled and left.

"Are you going to kill him?" she asked.

"I'll let Shadowsbane do it. The dragon needs some fresh meat, anyways," Horny chuckled and sat in a chair with her in his lap.

"There is something I need to ask you," she said. Horny looked at her.

"What?"

"If you were in a room full of exotic women…even though I said you couldn't touch them, would you…well…"

"Would I give in to them?" he asked with a heavy frown. "Saithe, you are the _only_ woman I have ever needed in my life! All the rest of them are cattle. You are a fiery pit that lives in death and shadow. Only you know my moods. No one else can replace you. I'd probably just slaughter them all and save the hearts for you!"

"Horny!" she breathed happily. She hugged him tightly and he hugged her back.

"You know, if one of the women was a sorceress and was able to make an illusion of you, I might give in by accident," he admitted.

"Horny, look into the imposter's eyes if that happens. You know how I make you feel. All I do is kiss you after you sink. That will be your sign to tell if it is me or not," she said. He nodded with a smile. He gazed into her eyes, and she kissed him when he lost all train of thought. He began to lick her neck and she groaned with need.

"Your scent is all I need, as well," he grunted as he worked his way down. She grabbed onto his horns and tugged on them gently. At the feel of that, he worked with her cries and growled out, "And I only let you do that!"

He removed his belt and gasped when she slid onto him. He tried to work with her disjointed whimpers and pleas, but he found himself giving in to his own passions. He just barely heard her cry out when he released himself into her. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his thunderous heart pounding. She began to purr with satisfaction as she whispered, "Only you can ever satisfy me."

"I had better be the only one! And…purring?! This is new!" he grinned. She looked up at him and smiled. He hugged her close again and sighed. He felt good. He looked down at her tail and did a double take.

"What is it?" she asked.

"Your tail has scales on it," he said, as he pulled it up to look at it closely.

"It does?" she asked.

"Yes. You know, if you let only parts of it appear, it can look like a snake," he grinned. "I'm sure it moves just like one."

"You mean like this?" she grinned, as she let her tail climb up his chest and rub against his skin.

"Just like that," he grinned back before pushing her tail off.

"I think it would be a nice way to make a man leap from his bed!" she said with a fanged grin. "A little precaution on my side!"

"Yes. I'll feel better, too!"

"Maybe we should let Jordon try to sneak into my bed tonight so I can try it out. If he becomes too out of hand, you can kill him!" she said.

"I don't think so!" Horny snarled. "I am the _only_ one allowed in your bed!"

"Of course, I know," she chuckled. They kissed again before she jumped off his lap. She found her armor and donned it quickly. She watched him replace his belt and stand up tall. He placed a hand on her hip.

"If you're still hungry, I think we can slaughter some people here," he said. She nodded and they went on a killing spree. They hid the bodies of everyone they killed, and Horny escorted her to her room. He kissed her again and licked off a spot of blood. She smiled at him and watched him walk into the shadows. She jumped into her bed, got under the covers and relaxed. She didn't have to wait too long. Jordon barged into the room and started ripping off his clothes.

"What are you doing?!" she screamed.

"I was promised to have you," he growled. "I am taking up that promise!"

"You are crazy!" she sneered. He pulled the sheets back and saw a portion of her tail. It moved just like a venomous snake would and Jordon jumped back several feet.

"What the…!" he gasped. Then he saw her armor. He wasn't expecting that. He saw her snarl and get up on all fours like a vicious she-wolf. She locked eyes with him, and he felt himself falling into darkness. When he was paralyzed, she got up smoothly and pushed herself up to his chest.

"You are to go and do My Lord's bidding," she whispered in his ear. "If you ever pull this stunt again, I'll make sure that your beating heart is digesting in my belly!"

Jordon gasped as she released her hold on him. He dressed and left without a word. She grumbled and looked out the window. It was already dark. She decided to explore the castle grounds. She found a dark green gown to wear over her armor and she took a stroll in the courtyard.

"Witch!" a servant screamed at her. "There she is! I saw her eating the hearts of my friends! Grab her and burn her at the stake!"

"What?!" she seethed. People from all over suddenly filled the grounds. She tried to summon her shadows to stun some of them so she could escape, but there was too much light from the torches they carried.

"Witch! We'll make you pay!" a woman screamed. "You enchanted our castle with death!"

"Have you any proof?!" Saithe screamed back. Then she saw Jordon in the tower window. He was swearing and trying to make his way down, but his servants were blocking him. A rock was thrown out of nowhere, and it struck her in the temple. She fell down and the mob grabbed her.

When she woke up, she was tied to a stake. She seethed with anger and saw the torches being brought to light the brushes. She summoned enough shadows to get Horny on the scene. They had just lighted the fire when a woman screamed. Like a whirlwind of death, Horny cut down the crowd. He howled his rage and cleared the whole area in seconds. He breathed heavily and began to look for Saithe. "Saithe! Where are you?!"

"Horny!" Saithe screamed as the fire began to singe her cloak. His eyes widened with disbelief at what he saw. He tried to clear away the flames with his scythe, but the wood had already caught. She started coughing from the smoke in the wall of fire, but then she looked up with surprise. He walked through the fire with a practiced ease. His own fire from his footfalls extinguished the flames from the wood. She felt weak from the smoke when he cut her bonds loose, and he cradled her in his arms as he walked out of the smoking pit.

"I came the moment you called," he muttered as he studied her for wounds.

"Kill them all," Saithe whispered before coughing again. "They called me a witch! I am not a witch! I am death!"

"You are life to me," he snarled as he surveyed the area. "I have ordered Shade to contact our troops. Nothing will be left alive at this castle come daybreak!"

"Take Jordon to our castle," she whispered. "He must lay a trap for his brother and father. They must all witness our wedding before they die!"

"That and while Jordon is away, our armies will play!" he growled as he took her back to her room. Jordon encountered them. His tunic was covered in his servants' blood. He had to kill his servants to escape them.

"Is she all right?!" he asked.

"She is well. You must reach our castle to the East and lay siege to your kin. Get on a horse and ride. The shadows will guide you. Go!" Horny hissed. Jordon left without a second thought. The moment Horny sensed he was gone he called to his army with a chilling howl. They swarmed the castle within the hour.

"I don't feel very good," Saithe coughed. "They burned something in that wood. I know they did!"

"You don't look well, either. I'm taking you to the Priest," he growled as he studied her face. It was turning a lighter shade of white, and her lips were getting a blue tint to them. When he walked outside the castle, he saw Shadowsbane slaughtering humans and placing their hearts in a bag. He turned his head and roared when he saw Saithe in a weakened state.

"_I will take you back and return here to turn this castle into a pile of rubble! Of course, I'm going to loot it for everything it's worth!_" the dragon hissed.

"You do that!" Horny slavered. He sat on the dragon's neck and had to support Saithe with a gentle, yet unbreakable hold. She was weakening even faster. The dragon flew at top speed. The moment they reached their home, Horny jumped down and pulled Saithe into his embrace. She coughed again and sighed. He ran in and screamed for the Priest. The old man came running.

"I'm here, I'm here!" he said as he breathed heavily. He placed Saithe's head on a pillow and placed his hands on the sides of her temple. He frowned greatly. "They poisoned her with the smoke of birch wood and hawthorn wood aged in sunlight. I doubt they even knew what type of wood they were using. It's normally used for ceremonies for successful harvests. Keeps demons away, and such. If I recall, there is only one cure for this. When it comes to what a demon needs, that is."

"What?!" Horny growled.

"She must drink a glass of clear, purified water. The water must be harvested under a full moon. It will help sweat out the poison. There is a clear, full moon right now. If you can get the water, it will cure her."

"She can't drink water! She vomits everything but blood!" Horny said.

"We have to try or else she is lost!" the Priest argued.

"_There is a natural spring behind the castle. I shall have one of our servants get several flasks of it_," Shadowsbane hissed. Horny nodded and bade everyone to leave. He picked her up and carried her to their lair. He placed her in her bed of blood, and he smoothed her hair back. He glared at any that tried to enter and he snorted menacingly. She coughed again and he looked at her with concern. The blue tint on her lips was spreading through her veins, and she couldn't stop shivering.

"How go the traps?" she whispered weakly.

"I do not know," he said. "We are getting a cure for you. The smoke poisoned you. You must drink some purified water to destroy the poison."

"I may vomit!" she coughed.

"I know, but it is the only way," he sighed. "Maybe…maybe _I_ can drink the water and you can drink my blood! Remember the booze from the Casino?"

She smiled and coughed harshly. She was spitting out black blood now. He hissed at the sight of it and bellowed for the servants to hurry. The scrawny boy ran in with a flask. Horny drank half of the water and cut his wrist open. He pressed the wound to her lips and she drank. It worked.

Her skin gleamed with a green slime, and her body convulsed horribly. He drank the rest of the water and another flask was offered to him. Her heart bed bathed her in blood and pumped away the slime. When her skin was slick with red blood and no traces of green appeared, he put the flask away. He would make sure he had more of this water in the future. He growled at any creatures that appeared to help and they left. All was well once again.

"Horny…" she sighed with exhaustion.

"Saithe, Saithe," he whispered as he pulled her close to hug her. She breathed heavily with relief.

"Now, I will ask again," she said. "How go the traps?"

"I can tell you that," Shade said with a grin. He handed her the heart of the boar he had possessed and she ate it hungrily.

"So, the boar is dead?" Horny asked.

"Of course. Where do you think I got the heart? Jordon ambushed them just as the beast was slaughtered. Their men are dead and trussed up for the feast as well as the horses and hounds. The king and Charles are bound to chairs and facing the Keeper's Heart. All we need to do is find someone to wed you."

"Let me do it!" the undead king said with a grin. "I knew Mandan well, and I think it would be an absolute pleasure in making him fear of me once again!"

"So, the two of you were enemies?" Saithe asked with a raised brow.

"Even better. We were brothers!" the king grinned. "My name is Justin. I was known as Justin the Courageous when I was living. Mandan was my younger brother. Would it be possible for him to be resurrected? It helps to have two chiefs in battle. I don't care for his sons. They were always a meddlesome lot."

"I don't see why not," she said. "Just rip out both of the hearts of his sons. You can say it is part of the wedding ceremony!"

"Didn't Jordon turn?" Justin asked.

"Yes, but the castle is being destroyed as we speak. He is not necessary, and I don't like the way he looks at Saithe!" Horny snapped. She giggled and pressed her cheek against his chest. He looked down at her and grinned.

"Horny," the Mistress said as she slunk inside the room. "If you like, I can help Saithe prepare for the wedding."

Horny glared long and hard at the woman. Shade whispered something into Horny's ear, and the Reaper grinned.

"If you hurt Saithe for any reason whatsoever, the shadows will tell me of it!" he snapped. "If you so much as sneer at her, I will not hesitate to rip you apart!"

"I understand," the Mistress said. "Besides, you give me plenty of work with the new recruits! I think that this is a fair exchange."

"I'll be waiting," Horny snorted and helped Saithe stand up. He kissed her long and deeply before releasing her to the Mistress's care. The red haired woman took Saithe to a distant stream and let her clean herself off.

"He really does love you, doesn't he?" the Mistress sighed.

"Yes. I love him as much as he loves me. We back each other up in battle. I know for a fact that we would do anything for each other," Saithe said as she finished cleaning off the blood. The Mistress nodded at her and led her into the dragon's lair.

"I should pick out a gown for you. Maybe some jewelry?" the Mistress asked. "I am sure Horny would be very pleased."

"I don't think there are any gowns here," Saithe shrugged. The Mistress clapped her hands, and the only undead seamstress in the castle appeared.

"We found some bolts of silk with a hint of satin lace. They are of a strange silvery color, but a nice dress can be made," the seamstress said with a smile. Saithe nodded and the dress began to get pieced together. The Mistress found a silver circlet set with sapphires. When she searched a little more, she found matching earrings and a necklace. Another maid came in with various paints and powders for Saithe's face. When it came time to don the dress, Saithe stopped them.

"What is it?" the Mistress asked with a slight irritation.

"I want to wear something under the dress. No doubt Horny is going to rip it off me, but I want him to be surprised when he does so," Saithe grinned. The Mistress snickered with her and nodded with agreement. Saithe chose to have a thin filament of the silk to go over both her breasts and trail between her legs. The Mistress pulled the silk taught so that it created a wedge in her rear. At this, she snarled, "Ow! What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to rip me in half?!"

"Trust me! It's the same thing I have, but it's built into my suit!" the Mistress snarled back. The seamstress cut a deep v-line in the silk so her cleavage was exposed, and the Mistress tied the loose ends together in a tight manner. The seamstress disapproved, cut the ends off and stitched it closed. The silk on Saithe's back was trimmed down to a thin line so that it appeared to be one solid piece. When Saithe looked down at herself, she found herself grinning.

"Not what I expected, but this should do nicely!" she said. She put the dress on, then the jewelry. The maid applied the facial paints and left. Slippers were made for her shortly after. A hairdresser came in and put up her hair in long, regal curls. The curls seemed to add a sense of slenderness to her already thin, firm porcelain figure. When the hairdresser left, the maid pulled Saithe in front of a tall mirror for her to examine their handiwork. Saithe did a double take at the image in the mirror. The Mistress took a few steps away for Saithe to study her new look.

"Come and take a look!" the maid beamed.

"Is that…me?" Saithe asked. She never saw her own reflection so clearly before. The dress made her look royally and ethereally beautiful. She put a hand over her mouth and never knew until this moment why she was so desirable by man and demon alike. She had a drastic cleavage, yet the ruffles seemed to roll down the front of the gown in a natural pattern. It seemed to cling to her like a second skin, and the jewelry winked in a rhythmic pattern. Tears seemed to mist up in Saithe's eyes and she blinked them away.

"Do you think Horny will be pleased?" the Mistress asked loudly.

"Yes, Horny will be very pleased," Shade said as he gazed at his daughter. "I know I am. Everyone is waiting. Let's go now."

Saithe shook her head nervously and nodded. Shade offered her his arm and she took it. He led her back towards the Keeper's Heart Chamber, and she was surprised at how many creatures filled the hallways to gaze at her. When she finally reached the chamber, she saw the two kings talking.

"Come, come, brother! Don't you see? We can reign together!" Justin grinned.

"You are dead!" Mandan hissed. "You are not my brother!"

"Well, you won't need this anymore," Justin sighed as he took off his brother's crown. Mandan sputtered with rage as he watched his dead brother inspect the crown with a smile. The crown was placed on the ground and the shadows spirited it away.

"Saithe! Where is she?" Charles asked as he struggled against his bonds.

"Why, she's right here!" Shade said with a grin. The human's mouth dropped at her beauty. When he saw her dress, he grew curious. It was a wedding dress.

"Who are you marrying?" Charles asked curiously. Jordon longed to speak out to say it was he, himself, but he knew that Horny would slaughter him on the spot.

"She is marrying me!" Horny grinned as he stood up tall. Saithe knew he was near to bursting with pride at her. He didn't take his eyes off her once since she entered the room. She had definitely caught his attention and he beckoned to her.

"NO!" Charles shouted as he tried to struggle again. Saithe smiled at the human and revealed her fangs. Charles dropped his mouth in shock.

"You see, dear brother," Jordon grinned. "She was evil all along. She was playing you for a fool!"

"Now you shall see who I truly love," she whispered. Charles watched her walk up to Horny's side and the demon took her hands in his.

"I can't let this happen!" Charles screamed. "I refuse it!"

"You are out of your league!" Horny spat. Justin approached the couple and began to start the ceremony. When they both said their vows, they grinned at each other.

"If anyone here deems that this marriage should not happen, speak now or forever hold your peace!" Justin said solemnly.

"I object!" Jordon and Charles said simultaneously. Jordon gasped at his outright response to the question and looked at Horny fearfully. He backed up near his brother and cowered down with wide eyes.

"Then forever hold your peace!" Horny snarled as he brandished his scythe. He lopped off both of their heads in a single, smooth stroke.

"Anyone else?" Justin asked calmly.

"My sons!" Mandan shrieked. Shade shoved his dagger deep into the king's chest. When he felt the king fully relax in death, he removed the dagger.

"We can resurrect him later," Shade said with a shrug. Saithe smiled and looked at Horny. The demon grinned and looked at Justin.

"All right. You're married. Go have fun," Justin shrugged. Horny laughed at the abrupt ending and flung Saithe onto his shoulder. When the feasting started, he took Saithe outside. Shadowsbane was waiting for them.

"_I know of a tiny island not far from here. You want to spend a few days there?_" the dragon asked.

"Why would we do that?" Horny asked.

"_For the honeymoon!_" he snorted. "_Please tell me you at least want some sort of a vacation alone with her!_"

"A honeymoon?" Saithe asked with curiosity. "I've never heard of it. As for a vacation, yes, that would be lovely."

"All right, then. Take us to this island you know of," Horny growled. The dragon nodded and let them climb onto his back. He took off into the starry night.


	20. Chapter 20

An hour later, he landed on the top of a mountain. The entire island was only about a mile around, but it was filled with wild game. Horny got off and helped Saithe down rather carefully.

"_I'll be back in a few days. Just listen for my roar. I'll be here when you are ready to leave,_" the dragon rumbled as he took off. Saithe looked at Horny and he shrugged. He looked around and spotted a cave near the edge of the mountain.

"Come with me," he said casually. She nodded and they walked down the mountain. When they walked inside, a heavy snarl greeted them. Horny scowled and told Saithe to stay put. A few minutes later, a shriek echoed throughout the island and Horny bade her to come inside. He had killed a large bear and he shoved its carcass out the entrance. When he pulled her to him, the fire from his feet gave them just enough light to look around. The ground was bare and dry. Horny snorted, but got an idea. He went back outside and a hacking sound was made from his scythe. He came back with the bloodied bear pelt, and he set it on the ground. He went back outside and came back in with the bear's heart.

"I was getting hungry," she smiled.

"I'm not going to let you eat it right away," he grunted.

"Why not?" she pouted.

"I have other things in mind as to what to do with it," he grinned.

"Like what?" she countered. With a quick movement, he placed his scythe on the ground and tore the dress off her body. At the sight of her second nature of clothing, he grinned with lust.

"I hope you don't plan to stay attached to that," he slavered.

"I don't know. It was the Mistress's idea," she said, as she lay herself down on the pelt. He watched her roll onto her belly and stretched. With the way the jewelry sparkled and glittered on her, it seemed to enhance it even more. He growled at the sight of her scantily clad form, and she rolled again onto her back to look up at him in a half-sitting position. He removed his armor quickly and knelt down next to her.

"Oh, yes," he grinned. "I have definite plans with this heart!"

He crushed the organ with his hand and let the warm blood drip onto Saithe's skin. When she went to smear it on her skin, he stopped her to lick it up. She gasped when he tore off the filmy garment and pressed the heart between her legs. He bent to lick and nibble at the oozing meat. Her body trembled at his slow teasing and she realized that, once again, he was going to make love to her.

She lost her senses and thoughts to his rough tongue on her skin. He squeezed out any blood the pelt offered to him so he could salvage it for her skin. For an hour he tortured her with his slow, delicious teasing before finally deciding to slide onto her to take her. It was completely unexpected when he began to thrust. She was swept away by his sudden urge, and she grabbed onto his horns to pull him closer. He began to groan when he lost control of himself and clasped her to him when he collapsed onto her.

"Never knew a heart could be used like that," she chuckled. He gave a small grin.

"What now, wife?" he muttered thickly when he rolled to have her on top.

"I don't know about you, husband, but I feel completely famished!" she said. There was a sudden noise at the entrance, and Horny got up with a savage hiss. She watched him walk to the entrance with his scythe in hand. He came back with a grin and dropped the bag of hearts that Shadowsbane was collecting for her. He dumped them out onto the bearskin and watched Saithe start to eat each one savagely. When she was halfway done with the pile, he put the rest away.

"I'll add to these later," he grunted. He picked out a large heart and shared it with her. She smeared some blood on her neck and cleverly scratched her neck open slightly. When Horny went to lick the blood off, he began to sense her thoughts. She let her thoughts reveal how much Horny meant to her, and how she would kill anything that tried to get between them. He learned about her whole life, and she felt him squeeze her with rage when he learned of Clyde's first treachery to her. She revealed all of her secrets to him within a single minute, and he finally licked her wound closed. He gazed into her eyes and muttered something intolerable before kissing her.

"What did you say?" she whispered as he kissed down her neck.

"I'm just so surprised," he grumbled. "As to how one with your flawless beauty can be so undeniably evil and only belong to me! You have no idea as to what is running through my mind right now!"

"Do I dare find out?" she asked with a fanged grin. He smiled and pressed her mouth to his neck in a gentle manner. He felt her pinched bite and revealed all that he could to her about his life. It was highly monotonous, but he felt her tremble with her own rage and jealousy at what he normally did with captive women. He knew right then that she would never let him be with another female. Then again, he knew he didn't want her to be with any other male. He growled at the very thought of Clyde attempting to rape her when she was young, and he felt her hug him. He realized he owed Shade a favor at that. She kissed his neck closed and whispered, "I think just by letting my Father live is a decent favor enough. My Father has done some _very_ awful things to me in the past, but he was enchanted. It's not often you show mercy."

"I am only showing mercy to him because you are his daughter!" he snorted. "I would have killed him long ago if it were otherwise. You know for a fact that I can kill without a thought."

"I know. I've seen you in battle. Of course, you know that I would do the same thing, except I try to make it sneaky. Almost like an accident that spreads chaos through a simple day."

"Hmm…so, you tend to treat your strategy like a water effect. You take a drop of water and let it splash into a clear pond. One ripple can destroy the very sheen of a once perfect mirror. I like it!" he grinned. "Of course, that way is not for me."

"I understand completely. However, sometimes a little precaution is necessary for studying an unknown foe. That is what I was taught."

"And your father taught you well in that aspect. I just thought it was funny how he never taught you what men and women did together."

"You taught me that pretty well, thank you!" she said tartly and got up to stretch. "I'm going to go kill something and bathe in its blood."

"I'm going with you, then!" he grunted. "As you said, this is unknown territory! I must be as cautious as I can with you!"

She growled at him and he grinned. He stood up tall and put his armor on. He realized that she didn't have hers, and he decided to keep her extra close. She had him get the bag of hearts and he looked at her oddly.

"If we are going to explore, we might as well kill off all the animals here, right?" she grinned. "I want to be able to eat something later. The bag is almost empty."

He grunted with agreement and had the sack hung over his shoulder. He kept a hand on her hip and watched her do something curiously. She picked up a hollow stick and looked at it. She blew in it to make sure it wasn't clogged, and she began to look for something to place in it. When she found a sharp seedling, she stuck it into the opposite end of the tube. Then he asked, "What's that?"

"My Father taught me how to make this. It's called a blow dart. Watch!" she grinned. She caught sight of a magnificently plumaged bird and readied the tube to her lips. With a quick puff of air, the seedling launched and struck the bird in the chest. It fell to the ground paralyzed.

"Impressive!" Horny grinned as he grabbed the bird by its feet. "Why would you need such a tool?"

"I teased the local night watch with it when I was growing up!" she laughed. "They always wore metal helmets, and I made them think they were getting hit with their poles when the turned to march along the edge of the village! I made quite a stir with them when I was bored."

Horny chuckled and told her to keep the weapon. He never knew when something like that would come in handy. He was impressed with the bird's pelt and decided to keep the feathers. Saithe pulled out the bird's heart and bit into it. She smiled at the taste and let him eat the other half. He smiled and realized the blood tasted rather excellent. They went on a killing spree.


	21. Chapter 21

They stayed for a week on the island. When they first arrived, the island was teeming with lush growth and life. Now it was just a smoking lifeless pit. Horny's fiery footfalls burned everything it touched, and Saithe had devoured every heart that beat. They had uncovered a sleeping volcano, and Horny woke it up by walking into its mouth. Horny wasn't hurt by the lava at all, and he carried Saithe everywhere after that. When the dragon landed and roared for them to leave, Horny sighed with resentment.

"What is it?" Saithe asked.

"We must go back to that wonderful place where the cattle are again," he snarled. "I was hoping I could keep you alone and safe for another week!"

"Well, why don't we start a family, then?" she asked. "This way we can go off on our own and no one can trace our footsteps."

"You mean not trace _your_ footsteps! You can easily track down mine!" he grumbled. She grinned and wrapped her arms around his neck. They approached Shadowsbane and the dragon yawned from the wait.

"_Very impressive with what you've done here. Of course, now I'll have to find another island for you_," he snorted.

"Just let us know when you find one. We'll kill it off for you!" Saithe grinned. The dragon rumbled a laugh and let them mount up. He took them back to the castle. Horny jumped off his back and helped Saithe down. He carried Saithe to their lair and looked up with concern. Something called to him that appeared to be a threat. It was instinctive to protect his mate and fight off whatever was attempting to threaten them.

"What is it, my love?" she asked.

"I feel…that something is not right!" he snarled. "I need to check it out. No matter what happens, don't look for me!"

"Your pride demands it, right?" she asked. He smiled and kissed her deeply.

"I have always come back to you. If you know something is wrong, watch my throne. If it starts to disappear, start looking," he said. She nodded and he hugged her tightly to him for several more minutes before releasing her. She watched him leave, with a smile. Yet, at the same time, she was horribly bothered by his sudden leave. She would always greet him when he came home to her.


	22. Chapter 22

The hours turned to days. The days turned into a week. The week turned into a month. She was horribly frantic now, and every creature she encountered left her with a deep concern. She was a nervous wreck.

"He's still not home!" she hissed. "Something is wrong!"

"You're right!" Shade said. She looked at him with surprise. Normally he counseled her and said she was overreacting.

"What?" she asked softly.

"His chair became slightly faded!" he snarled.

"No…" she whispered fearfully. "Send out shadows!"

"Already done!" he said grimly. "Shadowsbane just took flight, and the minions are scouring the earth. Even the Mistress is cracking a whip at the Imps. The two kings are leading the zombies in separate search parties. All we can do is wait."

"The wait had better be short!" she snapped. "I waited too long for him as it is!"

He sighed and watched her storm off. She had _not_ slept well at all while her mate was away. The only time she slept deeply was when she was completely exhausted, and even then it was only for a couple hours at a time. The only time she ate was when she was weak from hunger. She was several pounds lighter, and her eyes had dark circles under them. She got horribly irate and spat at everything that moved. He grinned in thought that she was reminding him a lot like Horny.

He sat down and listened to the shadows. He didn't know how much time passed, but a sharp snort from a castle window roused him out of his trance.

"_I found a strange castle surrounded by desert sands! The wind reeks of Horny's scent!_" the dragon hissed urgently. Shade stood up with determination.

"Take me there! I'll not tell my daughter of this yet!" he snarled. The dragon nodded and flew off with him. The daylight seemed to eat at Shade, but he didn't care. His alliance was at stake, and he knew he would remain invisible to those who couldn't see true darkness. When he could, he would fly under the dragon so he wouldn't be hit too hard by the sunlight. The dragon's scales were natural protection, and Saithe's blood seemed to have enhanced that, too.

It was a two-hour trip North, and the castle they found was strange to look at. Indeed the land was a desert. A few green plants here and there were all that dotted the sands. The castle was short, squat, and the towers had large bulb-like tops on the ends of them. Since Shadowsbane could easily be seen at this time, due to his shape and size, he waited in the outskirts as Shade flew ahead to investigate. It was easier for him, since he could give off the illusion that he was an over-large bird. When Shade flew over to the top window, he scowled with fury. Horny was imprisoned in a crystal of light. The Reaper was being starved to death.

"This is why the shadows could not detect him!" he hissed. Then he saw Horny look up weakly and smile. They both knew that Saithe would be horribly pissed off and would stop at nothing to kill the being that did this. When Shade flew back to Shadowsbane, the dragon looked at him intently.

"_Did you find him?_" the dragon asked.

"I'm going to stay here. I did find Horny, and I need to study the chamber he's in," Shade told the dragon as he flew up to the beast. "I need to learn about this place. You need to go get Saithe! Tell her that Horny is encased in a light crystal!"

"_A WHAT?!_" the dragon screamed. "_Those are nearly impossible to destroy! Even the creator of the spell cannot fully destroy it once it is made!_"

"Trust me! Saithe will find a way!" Shade growled. "Now go!"

The dragon screamed in anger again and took off to get her. Shade summoned the nearby shadows and sent them scouring for information. He learned the castle was called a palace, and that the king was actually called a sultan. The sultan was a fat, depraved fool who kept swarms of girls in something called a harem. Shade hissed when he learned a powerful sorceress lived here as well. His senses told him that it was this particular woman that trapped Horny. He would study her every move to know her secrets and her weaknesses. She was now dealing with true evil and would find out the hard way as to how she was going to die.

"Where is he?!" Saithe snapped. Shade was surprised. She beat the dragon back to him. He took her over to the window, and she screamed with fury. She could not get into the room from the window. It was too well protected with spells.

"I have an idea," Shade said. She looked at him desperately. He whispered his plan to her, and she began to smile.

"Let's do this," she sneered. He nodded and they flew off to plot.


	23. Chapter 23

The next day, Shade disguised himself as a tired old man. He put illusions on Saithe to hide her current figure and had her bound by a rope. She followed him with her head down. She dressed in a tattered cloak to cover her face. Shade went over to the slave driver of the palace. He was the one who sold the girls to the highest bidder.

"What have you got?" the slaver growled.

"I bring my daughter. I need to pay off some debts!" Shade muttered.

"We'll see how much she sells for! Leave her here!" the man growled.

"It's up to you now," Shade whispered in Saithe's ear. "I'll be watching over you. Be careful."

"I know," she said softly. She was dragged into a small cage with other women. She shuddered at the close proximity of them, but she narrowed her eyes. She would kill them all to get to Horny. She saw a large wagon approach them. It was drawn by strange, pale animals with large bumps on their back. She listened to the shadows, and they told her these were called camels. She blinked her eyes and shuddered. She wanted to get Horny. She wanted to get him home. The silk door of the wagon was pushed back by a servant, and she saw the fat fool sitting on a silk pillow. At the sight of gems on ropes of gold to show how much wealth the man held, she grinned. This place would be rich with treasures to plunder.

"Let the slave drive begin!" the sultan said with his hands raised. The people cheered when woman after woman was pulled from the cage. They screamed with fright at some of their new owners. Many were stripped naked. She looked down at her skulls and whispered an illusion to cover them. Oh, yes, she grinned. Her 'new owner' will get a definite thrill out of her!

She was pulled from the wagon by a man with greasy hands, and she stood defiantly before the crowd. The tattered cloak was pulled from her and the crowd was silenced by her beauty. She tossed her hair back and grimaced at the harsh sunlight.

"She is mine!" the sultan grinned. Then he paled as she locked eyes with him. She smiled demurely. He was already under her control.

"All right, then!" the slaver growled. "Who's next?"

The crowd was angered that she had no bidding. Apparently, what the sultan wants, he always gets. She was pushed into a crowd of guards and led into the palace. She was taken straight into a side door that led to the harem room and given to servants.

"This one is beautiful!" a girl said.

"Look at her hair! We shall pretty her up good!" an older woman said. Saithe said nothing as they dressed her in their style of clothing. A two piece, gold silk pants and bikini top was all they needed to put her in. The pants were billowing and cut along the edges of both sides to allow air flow. They dressed her in jewels and painted her face accordingly. When they stepped back to look at their handy work, they nodded with definite approval. They took her into the main room of the harem and left her.

"Well, well, look at what the Sultan brought us!" a girl smirked by the window. Saithe glowered. Another walked up to her to sneer. Saithe slapped her away. The girl shrieked in pain, and the others stood up with fury.

"You think you can tell us what to do?!" another beauty sneered.

"All I have to do is sing," Saithe grinned. They all paused at Saithe's calm tone of voice. They were used to the new girls being panicked into submission. There were at least twenty girls here. All of them were stupid and lazy.

"I am the best singer here!" the first girl said. "Listen to me!"

Saithe listened and showed no emotions. The girl was horribly off-key and, if she was the best one here, the rest had nothing to back her up with. When the girl finished, Saithe thought. She was clearly unimpressed.

"Not bad, but I can do better!" she grinned. She sang and her Siren's voice infected them all. They were hypnotized and completely under her control. When she finished, she began to ask questions. "Who is the real one in charge here?"

"The Sultan's sorceress, Kali, is the one. She scares us all with her dark enchantments," a girl whispered. "We don't know where she hails from."

"Does she have a weakness?" Saithe asked.

"Not that we know of. All who go up to her chamber is never heard from again," another girl shuddered. "When she comes down here, she takes one of us that have no further value to the Sultan. We try to stop her, but she kills those who disobey."

"I see. One of you will go to the Sultan. Tell him that the new girl does not belong in a harem. Tell him that she is too beautiful and puts the rest of you to shame!" Saithe snapped. The girl by the window nodded and rose. Apparently she was the leader in this room. Several minutes later, she came back and was accompanied by several guards. The guards were stunned by Saithe's beauty and took a few moments to remember where they were.

"The Sultan wants to see you," a guard said to Saithe. She shrugged and followed them. She was pushed somewhat roughly before the fat man. She snarled with disgust when he drooled over her.

"Suspend her in a golden cage where I can always see her!" he smiled. She growled and trembled with rage. He was going to use her as a display piece for his friends?! Then she grinned. She would plant the seeds of mistrust and jealousy into the hearts of any that gazed at her. A cage was brought and she was placed on the silk pillows. She was suspended in midair and the chain was locked into place. She grumbled at her new fate.

"Surely she needs food and water," an advisor said.

"Ah, yes. She will need them," the Sultan nodded. She shook her head at everything offered to her. The Sultan grew angry and he sulked, "She will not eat!"

He looked at Saithe and froze when she locked her eyes with his. She grinned at the man when he shook with fear. She had learned long ago that, if she concentrated hard enough, she could let a shadow whisper softly into the minds of others. Her father was greatly impressed at her skill.

"What is it?!" the advisor asked. "Maybe I should get Kali!"

"No!" the Sultan said. "If you do, I'll never see my beautiful harem girl again! I have a feeling I know what this girl eats."

"You do?" the advisor asked. When the Sultan whispered into his ear, the other man paled and stared at the suspended girl.

"You will get her this required, yet strange diet!" the Sultan said. "Do it now!"

The advisor nodded and left. Saithe was amused to find that the Sultan was the only fat one there. The others were skinnier than sticks! Within minutes, a tray was suspended to her on a pole. It had a goblet of blood and a large heart on a plate. She smiled and took the tray. She sniffed both of the foods first before finding them safe to eat. Her father was very vigilant about that after her last feeding incident. When she finished, she placed the tray on the pole and it was lowered.

"What do you wish now?" the advisor asked.

"Contact my friends and family! They must see what I have acquired!" the Sultan giggled. The advisor nodded and sent out the messages. She growled in thought. She smiled. Tonight, she will rescue her husband. When the room was empty, she sent shadows everywhere to scour for the sorceress. The bitch was away on prompt business. She growled again. She would have to rescue Horny now. She sang and summoned a harem girl. She locked eyes with the simple, frail creature, and the girl was swallowed in the darkness of her gaze.

"Release me!" Saithe spat. "Then have your little friends distract the guards and Sultan while I go to help my mate!"

The girl could not release her alone and called others over to help. Saithe was dropped a little harshly to the ground and the cage was opened. They screamed with fright at the sight of Shade appearing in the room, and they scattered to do their errands. Saithe was led up to the top tower by her father and was stopped by an enchantment of cold. He smiled at her scowling fury.

"Hatred is also cold," Shade said with a grin. Saithe nodded and made her heart numb to the world. She passed through with no problems. There were more enchantments, and Shade told her how to go through each one. He had studied the sorceress to perfection. When she finally reached the tower room, she walked up to Horny's crystal prison.

"What is this?" she frowned.

"He is encased in a shield of the purest light. I don't know how to free him," Shade said sadly. "The shadows cannot even get close enough to find a weakness."

"I think I have an idea," Saithe smiled. "I need to encase Horny in darkness again. Watch me!"

Shade watched his daughter remove the decorative jewels from her long locks of hair, and she tossed her hair over the crystal prison. Her hair began to suck in the light eagerly until no light shone through. It was then that her hair became a mass of tendrils and, even then, they seemed to move with a life of their own. They swarmed over the prison to drink at the light until her hair had found the form of Horny. When she pulled her hair back, she sat on the ground with Horny's head in her lap.

"Amazing," Shade whispered. He watched Saithe bite her wrist open savagely and pressed the spurting veins into Horny's slackened mouth. At the taste of her blood, he began to drink deeply. When she was sure that much of his hunger was finally sated, she pulled her wrist from him, and Shade healed the damage.

"Saithe," Horny whispered weakly. She shook her head softly, since his whisper was like a faded echo. A tear fell from her eye and landed on his cheek. It rolled off his face and made him snap his eyes open completely. His eyes had a dull glow and not the fully bright glow they once held. He began to breathe in ragged gasps as though it was a torment to even breathe normally.

"I'm here, my love," Saithe whispered back. She gazed into his eyes, and he groaned with a primal need of her. He was too weak to move and he trembled.

"I know I worried you," he said. "That sorceress bitch tricked me with her enchantments! She made me feel that I was under threat. That you were under threat. That I had to seek her out to stop her, but it was only a lure. She wore your figure, but I remembered what you said.

"Her gaze did nothing to me, and she thwarted all of my attacks! She cast numerous charm spells on me, but they did nothing. My heart was already claimed by you. When she realized I wasn't falling for her form, she said that if she couldn't have me then I was better off dead! When I turned to leave, she trapped me in this prison. Only after it was done did she realize that she could not remove the spell when she wanted to be with me. When I began to starve, she decided to try and preserve my figure so that she could gaze at me whenever she wanted!"

"She will not live after this day!" Saithe snarled. "I shall slaughter her with glee!"

"Saithe, my life, my strength," he breathed when he looked at her. "You are everything to me!"

"I'm going to have my Father take you home so you can eat and rest," Saithe said. "Don't worry about me. I'm going to have some fun of my own!"

"I…" Horny started, but he stopped when she gazed down at him. He trembled with need again when she kissed him thoroughly.

"Wait for _me_ this time," she whispered to him as she stroked his gaunt cheek with a gentle forefinger. He managed to snarl fiercely, but he knew he was out of his league. He was simply too weak. She beckoned to her father and Shade nodded. He touched Horny's wrist and they both vanished back with the help of the shadows. Now that the palace was fully explored, it was easy to do. Most of that was the Keeper's doing. The powerful entity had built a path under the palace to make trekking easier. Even the Keeper knew that losing a prized Horned Reaper could be bad news.

"Now," she snarled as she stood up. She ripped off the filmy garments, and the shadows brought her armor to her. She let her hair cover her back, and she grew her wings out underneath the black cloak. She stood in Horny's spot and grinned. She waited patiently for several hours. Her rage was fueled with fury. She would feast well on the sorceress's heart.

"My demonic creature," she heard a silvery voice ring out. "I have come back…"

"Indeed?" Saithe growled as she turned to face the enemy. The sorceress stared at her. She was confused.

"Where is my demon?!" she snarled.

"You would dare to call him _your_ demon? That demon is my husband! And he's back at home where he belongs!"

"Impossible! No one could undo that crystal!"

"Well, I did. Love conquers all, as they say!" Saithe hissed as she studied the sorceress. The woman had dark brown skin, black hair and brown eyes. She had an amply curved figure that was covered in heavy silks with runic stitching. Saithe growled and let her wings appear from their hiding spot in her hair. Her tail lashed out viciously.

"You are not human!" Kali gasped. "You took my demon from me!"

"As I said before," Saithe snarled. "Horny is my husband, and I love him dearly. You are going to die for interfering with our lives!"

"Hah! We shall see how good you fight!" she spat back. The woman locked eyes with Saithe and realized her mistake. Kali fell into the eternal darkness of Saithe's eyes and could not tear her gaze from her. Apparently, Kali would lock her eyes with those that were weaker than her. Saithe had overpowered her gaze by a tenfold.

"Such a pity. I expected you to know that you should never lock eyes with true evil!" Saithe smiled coldly. She noticed Shadowsbane looking in from the window. He wanted a piece of the action. The dragon had known Horny for many years and wanted to make sure his tormentor was dead as well. Saithe gave a slight nod at the dragon, grinned and moved towards the sorceress. She was slightly disappointed that she wouldn't have Kali's heart, but it didn't matter as long as the bitch was dead.

"That demon was to be with me!" Kali screamed. "I had a vision that he would keep me from death!"

"Don't you realize that a dream like that only means the opposite?!" Saithe smiled. "When you dream of evil, it tells you what to stay _away_ from! Not to bring it into your home!"

"I…I…" the sorceress faltered. "Then the other vision I had this morning of being sucked into darkness…"

"My gaze into your eyes can do that," Saithe grinned.

"I see…another vision…one that I have dreamt of before!" Kali gasped. "If I saw it again, I know it will be the end of me!"

"And what was that vision?" Saithe asked calmly.

"Large teeth came down upon me…" she whispered. "But, in order for that to happen, the creature would have to be big…"

"Like the black dragon behind you?" Saithe laughed. Kali gasped and looked behind her fearfully. The dragon howled and screeched with anger.

"Impossible!" the sorceress said with disbelief.

"_I hunger! Come closer to the window, please. I want to know you better!_" Shadowsbane seethed. Kali was in shock that the dragon could speak.

"You should have left my husband alone!" Saithe hissed and ran up to Kali. The sorceress dodged her and began to back away towards the room's exit. She turned and stared at the mob of harem girls that walked into the room. They sneered at her and Saithe laughed. The sorceress screamed as they pushed her towards the window. When the girls began to circle her, the sorceress whispered a spell of power. The girls ended up dying in agony at her feet. Saithe snorted and charged at the woman. When the sorceress turned to fight back, she was shoved into the dragon's mouth. With a loud crunch and a gulp, Kali was finished.

"_Delicious!_" Shadowsbane said as he licked his muzzle clean. "_Can I plunder now? I saw the most wonderful huts that were filled with so much treasure!_"

"Wait. I want to find out what she did with those other girls that she brought up here," Saithe said as she began to scour the room. She found a locked door and the shadows crumbled it for her. What she found was interesting. The sorceress was keeping the other girls for herself. They were all naked and chained up like animals.

"_Interesting secret, isn't it?_" Shadowsbane snickered.

"So I see. What a disgusting little bitch she was!" Saithe snarled but then thought with a dreamy smile. "However, it is a marvelous little smorgasbord."

The captives looked at her with hope, but then started screaming. Saithe was famished from her loss of blood and began to feast. There were at least fifteen girls in the room, and she killed every one of them. She licked her fingers clean after eating the last heart and grinned. She walked out of the room and smiled at the dragon.

"_What do you have in mind?_" he asked.

"I'm going to pay the Sultan a visit. When I have secured his crown, do as you please!" she grinned. The dragon nodded and flew off. She was impressed that he managed to keep from being seen by the palace guards in broad daylight. She wouldn't be surprised if her father helped with his illusions. With a hiss, she ran down the stairs and killed any person she encountered. Her tail would stab them through the back as her gaze would paralyze her prey. She found the Sultan in his bed snoring. She grinned. She took a pillow and threw it at him.

"W-what?!" he snorted as he woke up. He saw her and his eyes glazed with lust.

"I've come for you personally," she breathed. She backed away from him when he stood up to reach for her. Just as he was about to touch her, a large, curving blade of steel slid neatly around his throat.

"Now, tell me why you are reaching for my wife!" Horny snarled.

"P-please! Don't kill me! I'll give you anything! Women! Gold! Silks! Anything!" the sultan pleaded. "Whatever you wish! It's yours!"

"Really? How about this whole palace?" Horny asked.

"Anything! You hear me?!"

"So, his soul is also accounted for!" Saithe grinned. The sultan shuddered when she reached up and took his regal plumed hat. The puffy silk hat was encrusted with gems and she nodded with approval. She called for her father and gave him the hat. Shade nodded and vanished with it. Horny laughed and pulled the scythe straight back. The fat man's head severed neatly and rolled on the ground. He pushed the Sultan's body aside and it fell to the ground as well.

Right after that, Horny fell silent and looked at Saithe. Her eyes raked his body as his gaze raked hers. They had been apart for far too long. When she removed the illusions her father put on her, Horny gasped at the wreck she had become. He was going to ask questions, but he stopped. Something told him that they would be answered soon enough. She gave a hard swallow and whispered, "You heal rather quickly."

"Thanks to you," he said huskily, as he removed his belt and pulled her close to him. She trembled and pushed her face against his neck.

"One month," she said. "It was a whole month that you were taken from me!"

"A month?!" he said with disbelief. "Saithe…I had no idea…"

"Look at me, Horny! I'm a nervous wreck! I couldn't sleep, I barely ate, I couldn't think…"

"I'm here now," he whispered and kissed her hungrily. She groaned with a violent, soul-twisting need, and Horny ripped her armor off her. He pushed her onto the silk bed and took her. She felt his body tremble and his heat spread through her.

"You've got to be kidding!" she gasped as he licked her neck.

"A month to catch up on," he grumbled as he took her again. A terrified servant ran into the room and gaped at his master's head on the ground. Shade came up from behind and stabbed him in the back.

"Thank you!" Saithe said, as Horny looked up and growled furiously at the intrusion. When Shade vanished, Horny pushed Saithe on top of him and began to thrust into her. She let out her cries when he released himself again and rolled onto his side with her. At that, he cradled her close and sighed. When he looked at her again, she was in a deep sleep. He had no idea that she was that exhausted.

"Horny," Shade said as he approached them. "I need to take you both back. Shadowsbane is ready to loot and destroy this place."

"Take us home then, but be quiet about it!" he snarled.

"You have my word," Shade nodded and waited for Horny to stand with Saithe in his arms. He reached out to touch Horny and his daughter to take them away.


	24. Chapter 24

The darkness swirled around them both, and they found themselves on the floor of the dungeon. The Keeper placed Horny and Saithe into their lair. Another immense shower of gold filled the room, and Horny smiled with a touch of amusement. He was missed not only by Saithe. Horny decided to sit in his throne with her in his lap. He didn't want to lay down with her just yet. She grumbled in her sleep, but quieted when he hugged her to his chest. Her armor appeared in a heap on the floor, and his belt was on top of it all. The shadows stored the gold with the rest of the stash in Saithe's bed.

He looked down at Saithe's sleeping form and shook his head. He was gone for a month. It was almost like he deserted her.

"I didn't know what to expect," he muttered to himself. "Saithe was right. I should have looked into it first before going off on my own. All of this could have been avoided. That light crystal really distorted time."

He sat still for another hour and passed the time by gazing at her. He had never needed anyone like her, and the thought of her suffering had actually shamed him. He growled and swore to make it up to her. She woke with a jolt at his grumbling, and she had to blink her eyes to realize he was with her again.

"I'm not dreaming?" she whispered.

"When have you needed to?" he asked. She trembled and placed her arms around his neck. He grunted, but he hugged her back. He couldn't blame her. He felt something tickling down his chest and he looked down at her. She was crying with relief. He shook his head and narrowed his eyes. He called for a servant.

"Yes?" a scrawny zombie said as he walked in.

"Get me the dragon when you can," Horny said. "I think I may take another vacation. It sounds like something that is needed right now."

The servant nodded and walked off. He felt Saithe tremble again, and he began to lick her neck. He tasted her tears as they dripped down her skin, and he longed to clean them off her for good. She gasped when he worked his way down her chest, and he grunted when she grabbed his horns.

"Ah! It is so good to see you back! Oh…" the Priest said as he walked in. Horny looked up and snarled violently. The Priest gaped at the scene.

"What is it?!" he snapped.

"I, ah, just have another potion for her," the old man said.

"Trash it! I'm not going to have her drink another one," he snorted.

"What?!" the Priest asked.

"You heard me! Now leave us!" Horny growled. The Priest bowed and ran off.

"Are you sure you don't want me to take it?" Saithe asked. Horny looked at her and grinned with a bit of a chuckle.

"I am quite sure. I think we are at that point in time that we should think of a little expansion. Don't you think?" he asked. She kissed him hard and pulled on his horns. He moved his mouth to lick her neck again when she positioned herself to straddle him. He groaned when she slid onto him, and he let his hands roam over her back. Then he locked onto her hips to pull her down even more on him.

"I missed you so much!" she gasped when he moved her. "I never want to be away from you again!"

"To think that I actually found myself missed," he mused. "I will never make you worry about me again."

"I…doubt that!" she panted. She arched her back, and he licked wherever his tongue could reach. After another minute, she cried out at his heat and he clutched her to him. He felt her heart pounding in her chest and he grunted. He looked around and managed to reach for his scythe. He looked around again and killed a wandering chicken. He set his scythe down and tore the little body in half. He smeared blood on her and yanked the heart out. He fed her the heart and began to lick the blood off her.

"What…are you doing?!" she gasped.

"I have decided to try and make it up to you!" he grinned and began to lick off blood in places he missed. Before long, she sat up and began to nip his skin gently. He gasped at her with surprise, and he lost himself when she slammed herself down in his lap. He licked off any sweat that began to form, and he pushed her hair away from her face. She finally managed to smile and put her cheek on his breast. He snorted and found himself glaring in the doorway. He was slightly relieved that the intruder couldn't see anything, since Saithe's hair covered them both.

"Who…?" she frowned, but Horny's growl showed he was in control.

"What do you want, Mistress?!" he snapped. He felt Saithe stiffen up with anger, but he licked her cheek gently.

"I just wanted to say that I'm glad you're back," the Mistress said stiffly. "This place was not the same without you."

"Fine. Anything else?" he grunted. The woman sighed and walked off.

"She has not forgiven me?" Saithe snickered.

"Of course, she hasn't!" Horny scowled. "How can she?"

Saithe shook her head and rested again. Horny sensed something and grunted at Shade's form. The Shadow Demon bowed his head respectfully.

"Shadowsbane has uncovered a large amount of wealth. The Imps are extracting it now. There is another castle to the West that has gained my interest immensely."

"Really? What's so interesting?"

"It is ruled by a prince that is searching for a girl to marry. I was thinking if we dressed Saithe up like one of those foreign harem girls that it would do rather nicely," Shade grinned. "The human has some very strange tastes, too. My shadows are finding out more. I'll tell you what I can."

"Good. In the meantime, I'm going to have that dragon find another island for Saithe and I. I owe it to her after this horrible show of not coming home when I said I was going to. I'm also thinking of a little personal expansion. I guess it can wait a little longer, since another castle has been spotted."

"Not much longer, hopefully!" Saithe snorted. "If that's the case, where is the Priest's potion?"

"I convinced him to let me talk to you first before anything was done with it," Shade grinned and gave her the vial. She downed it and nodded when she felt it work.

"My Lord, the dragon is here," the servant said. Horny nodded and saw Shadowsbane's large eye peeking in through the doorway.

"_Something you require?_" the dragon asked.

"Yes. Do you know of another island?" Horny asked. The dragon thought and nodded. Shade looked at him with a smile and vanished.

"_I do have one in mind. When did you want to go?_"

"I want to leave now," Horny growled.

"_I shall be waiting outside_," the dragon rumbled. Horny watched Shadowsbane leave and hugged Saithe tightly.

"Another island to destroy?" she grinned. He chuckled and looked up to glare at an Imp. The creature shrieked from an invisible slap and ran off. Saithe giggled.

"I believe it is time that we departed again," Horny grinned. He released Saithe for her to dress, and he put his belt back on. He grabbed her and threw her onto his shoulder. She growled and spat. He grinned again and walked towards the main doors. He was stopped by Justin.

"What?!" Horny snarled.

"I know of the next castle," Justin said with a menacing grin. "My sister rules there as queen. My brother was to meet her for some sort of reunion. They were going to discuss possible trade routes to other castles."

"Really? Other castles?" Horny mused and scratched his chin. "We'll discuss this further when I get back."

Justin bowed and watched Horny leave with Saithe. Shadowsbane shook with laughter at the sight of Saithe. Horny set her down so she could settle onto the dragon's neck. Saithe growled at the dragon's laughter, and he grunted when she kicked him in the neck. Horny pulled her down and spanked her.

"OW!" she screamed. "What was that for?!"

"Do not make our ride disabled!" he snarled and shoved her back onto the dragon's back. She scowled at him and glowered with fury when Shadowsbane laughed again. Horny got up behind her and pulled her tightly to his chest. When they took off into flight, she gasped when Horny began move his hands over her skin and he whispered in her ear, "Ever try doing it in mid-flight?"

"_Hey!_" Shadowsbane snarled. "_I'll have none of that going on! I don't want my scales fouled! Don't even think about it!_"

"You know, I think it would be a wonderful experience," Saithe grinned.

"_I'll dump you both into a swamp if you dare!_" the dragon snarled again. Horny smiled and made Saithe turn to face him. He pulled up his belt and made her do the same. She narrowed her eyes with a smile when she saw him gasp with surprise. He did not expect her to massage him with her hands.

"Why you little…" he growled and pulled her into his lap. She arched her back when he shoved himself into her. He licked her lips before kissing her in a frantic movement. She groaned and began to move with him when he began to grope her. Her senses were even further heightened when she felt the dragon's muscles moving beneath them in flight. She cried out when Horny reached his limit and spread his heat within her. He hugged her and gave her a deep kiss. He didn't even bother to release her when Shadowsbane landed a bit roughly.

He looked around and saw the giant waterfall crashing down into the large pool of water. He smiled and nodded with approval.

"_I can't believe the two of you!_" the dragon spat. "_There is a cave behind the waterfall. I used to come here to relax, so, please, try not to destroy all the life on this island! I don't mind letting you use it as a private retreat._"

"This place is beautiful!" Saithe gasped. The moon was still full and its reflection rippled across the water. He watched the dragon leave after they dismounted and he carried her to the foot of the waterfall. When he walked into the cave, torches lit up to light the darkness.

"Very nice. Already magically enchanted. He truly did come here to rest up, didn't he?" Horny mused. "We'll honor his request and not do too much harm here."

"I see he left his own stash here as well," Saithe said as they came to a chamber filled with more wealth.

"All dragons need to sleep on something."

"And what about us?" she grinned. He set her down and grumbled. He found a bolt of silk and searched around for something else. He found a stalagmite that was rather large and located a gold pillar in a different corner. He pulled the pillar over to the rock formation and managed to make a hammock.

"I think this should work," he grunted.

"Should we try it out?" she asked casually. He smiled and chuckled.

"I want you to dance for me first. I saw that outfit you were in at the palace, and I would like to see you wear something like that again."

"Are you kidding?!" she asked. "I can't make clothing like that!"

"Then learn!" he snarled and shoved the rest of the silk into her hands. She glared at him and he fell to his knees when he lost himself in her gaze. He growled when she grabbed his horns and kissed him.

"You think a dragon like him would have seen the world, right?" she asked.

"Maybe," he shrugged as she kissed him again.

"Let me look around a little. If I don't see anything, I'll try and make some clothes. Is that a deal?"

"A deal with me?" he asked dangerously. "Are you sure you want to do that?"

"Why not?" she grinned. She leaned down and whispered in his ear and his lips spread into a savage grin at her wonderful choice of words.

"Indeed, I do," he said. "I love fucking the daylights out of you!"

"Then you might as well make a deal with me. If I can't make an appropriate garment for you, you get to rip it off, fuck me, then make me make another one to your liking!" she grinned. He looked at her and hissed with an uncontrolled lust.

"You have five minutes to look around! Be quick about it!" he growled as he sat down on a pile of gold coins. She walked around and searched thoroughly. She came upon a wardrobe lined with gold and she smiled with triumph. She opened it and gasped at the variety of clothes it held. He watched her pull out an immense, full length black corset dress lined in deep burgundy and set with opals the size of his thumb. She pulled out more fantastic dresses and he smiled. She had just found the perfect costume closet. At the very bottom, she pulled out a light purple harem suit with silver trim. She put it on and even found a veil to wear on her face.

This particular harem suit gave her more cleavage than she would have dared and clung to her hips like a second skin. It billowed out at the legs like the other suit she wore, and the slits went from the ankle to her thigh. The veil was a filmy line of silk that fit right over her nose to only expose her eyes. It was a highly dramatic feature. When she walked towards Horny with batting eyes and a half smile on her face, his eyes widened and he grinned.

"Think this will work?" she crooned. When she swung her hips, he trembled.

"Dance for me," he whispered. She smiled and obliged with glee. He studied the way the silk pants seemed to have a double set of cloth to cover a part of her rear and most of her front. When she arched her back, he clenched his fists at the sight of her firm breasts tightening the bust line of the top. When her dance got faster, he found himself unable to tear his eyes away from her curves. She finished when she fell to her knees and placed her body in an arched worship position before him. She looked up at him and blinked her eyes with a smile. She was breathing heavily from the exercise, but she knew it was worth it.

"Do you approve, My Lord?" she said with a husky whisper. He said nothing, but he did get up and strip off his armor in a smooth movement.

"Let me tell you," he said in a low, dangerous tone. "If I approve or not in my own manner of speech!"

She gasped when he tugged her to him and kissed her. He ripped off the silk and carried her to the hammock. He groaned when she clung to him by grabbing onto his horns. She smiled and began to sing to him. His mouth dropped and all thoughts of resolve left him. He became a beast with only the thought of mating the banshee in his arms his primary concern. She screamed with pleasure when he rammed himself inside her and began to squeeze her breasts with his hands. Her skulls pressed against the insides of his palms and he snorted with determination. She tugged hard on his horns and he began to pant. He hissed when his control began to slip again. She was still screaming when he started to thrust harder. He began to groan when he felt himself reaching his peak limit, and he licked down her neck. She cried out sharply at his release, and he was gasping for air.

They couldn't say anything to each other, but he did hug her tightly. He managed to move so that she was lying on his chest, and he found it slightly difficult to get comfortable in the hammock. She heard his grumbling and she looked at him.

"Do you want me to look around for another suitable sleeping spot?" she asked.

"No…well…" he grumbled. She kissed him and managed to escape the hammock. She looked around the pile of treasure and found another cave leading off to a smaller room. She walked into it and giggled with her find.

"Horny!" she called out. "I found something!"

"Hmm?" he asked. He got out of the hammock and walked over to her. He stood at the entrance and grinned. She had found a room full of soft, fur skins. Apparently, Shadowsbane raided trading caravans and stored much of his stock in the room. She pulled out a large wolf pelt and laid it on the ground. She found others like it and piled them on top of each other. When the pile was several inches off the ground, she laid down on it and stretched. Horny smiled and managed to lay down with her. He pulled her close to him, and she snuggled into the crook of his arm.

"I think we can rest for a few hours. Don't you think?" he asked as he let his free hand wander over her skin.

"I think that sleep is needed by both of us right now," she said with a yawn. "We'll hunt for food later."

"Rest now," he nodded to her and got comfortable. She put her head on his chest and closed her eyes. He felt her body relax and heard her breathe evenly. He was wide awake and a tremor of emotions shook through him. How could he leave her alone after all that has happened to them? He was pretty sure that if he left her alone again something was going to happen. It never failed. She was a magnet for danger, but he gave a lazy smile when that danger led to another victorious battle. He killed for her before, and he'd do it again in a heartbeat. If she told him to slaughter her own father he was pretty sure he'd do it for her. He came close to it, anyways.

He thought about her recent dance, and he trembled with a renewed lust. He could never get his fill of her. She was everything to him and more when he was with her. She was perfect and flawless in face and form. Her gentle looks were only a distraction for her cold-hearted interior. He grinned when he knew that she would only be gentle towards those she cared for. He knew it was only her father and himself. He snorted at nothing and let other thoughts run through his mind.

"Why are you still awake?" Saithe whispered as she looked at him.

"Just thinking about things," he grumbled. "It's hard to sleep when you've been away from someone for so long."

"Horny," she breathed and pulled her face up to his. They kissed deeply and she pressed his face into her neck. She pushed her hair away from her face, and he smelled her blood with alarm. He realized she had scratched her neck open, and he began to lick the wound closed. He closed his eyes as he listened to her frantic thoughts of how worried she was when he didn't come back to her. He learned how she barely slept and ate. He realized how important he was to her. He helped keep her health in check, and he knew that if he died on her she would have killed herself. He licked the wound completely closed, and he hugged her tightly.

"Saithe, Saithe," he whispered her name several times more. "I would never hurt you purposely unless it was planned or deserved. I honestly had no clue as to how long I was gone! The light was blinding to me and obscured all forms of vision! I was surprised I saw your father in the window when I did. It was as though his shadows cleared away the blinding light for just a second for me to know that I was found and help was coming. You have no idea how happy I was for that moment. When the light returned, I found my strength draining. I was horribly famished beyond belief, and I would have been collapsing to the ground if I wasn't frozen. I almost think I would have died if I was in that crystal another day."

"Don't say that you were going to die!" she hissed. "I would never let you get that close to death!"

"Well, you'd probably raise my corpse," he shrugged. He grunted when she punched his side angrily.

"It's not the same!" she spat. "A corpse is a cold dead thing that only does what it's told! You are a living, breathing wave of fire that is mine to command and love."

"So I still do what you tell me to do?" he asked with a glare.

"Only when it's important. Why else do you think I hate everyone else? They expect me to tell them what to do!"

"And what am I to do now?"

"I don't know!" she grumbled and stood up. He sat up and looked at her with confusion. Then his mouth gaped at the blood that leaked from between her thighs.

"What is that?!" he hissed and pointed. She looked down at the trail of blood.

"Shit!" she spat and ran out to the pool. He got up with alarm and followed her.

"What is that?" he asked again. She grumbled and he realized she was in pain.

"Haven't you ever learned of what a woman's monthly symptoms are when she isn't pregnant? What normally happens when it doesn't occur? I should have experienced this sooner with you, but with aborted pregnancies…it may have been pushed back, I think. Only other reason."

"What?" he asked in a puzzled tone. She laughed at his confusion, and he looked at her with surprise again. She was clearly not acting like herself. She explained what was happening to her, and he snarled with fury.

"So, I'm going to have to put up with mood swings the whole week?!" he growled. "Some vacation this turned out to be!"

"We'll see how you can handle me!" she smiled before wincing at her cramps. He became concerned at it, and he called to the shadows. He called for Shade.

"Yes?" the Shadow Demon said when he appeared. Horny explained what was going on, and the demon laughed like mad.

"Go to the Priest and get something for her to make this stop!" he snarled.

"I'll do what I can!" Shade said with merriment. He vanished and Horny walked into the water to hold Saithe.

"I'm sorry, Horny," she sighed. "I lost track of my time clock and I forgot all about it. Like I said before, I can only suggest that this happened from all the pregnancies I was getting from you. When you get me pregnant it puts everything in my body on hold. It's pushed back."

"Maybe you should have stayed pregnant," he grunted.

"Actually, the mood swings get worse," she grinned. "You'll think this is pleasant conversation until I get pissed off! As they always said in the village, there is nothing like a pissed off pregnant woman on a rampage!"

"Really?" he asked with a bewildered tone. "Humph. Now I have mixed feelings about you getting pregnant or staying on your cycle!"

She laughed and splashed him lightly. His heated skin had actually made the water steam slightly in minutes and they had a hot bath. He smiled at the feeling of her wet skin sliding over his and he pulled her close to him.

"I have something from the Priest," Shade said as he reappeared.

"Good. What is it?" Horny grunted as he began to lick Saithe's neck.

"It's a potion that will reduce Saithe's bleeding to a minimum and remove the cramps. It can't really help her mood swings, but if she's not in pain or pissed off, she will be fine," Shade said and placed the vial on the edge of the water. Saithe grew out her tail and it stretched out. She snatched up the vial and brought it over to her. She drank it and nearly gagged from the taste.

"It's not blood?" Horny asked.

"It has some blood in it so Saithe can at least keep it in her system. I'll take my leave now. I'm learning even more about the other castle and it appears to be promising. There is much that is unfolding for us."

"Good. Keep us posted," Horny said as the demon vanished. He looked over at Saithe and saw her breathing a sigh of relief. The cramps had been taken care of completely. He watched her for another moment and looked around. Should he hunt and leave her here? The dragon's lair should be well protected and nothing should come to harm her. He was actually having doubts.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"You're going to get hungry. I'm going to hunt for us. You remain here. Shadowsbane should have put many protective wards on this site, and you should be safe in this area," Horny said in thought.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked with curiosity. He nodded and gave her a surprisingly gentle kiss before heading out of the water. He dried as he walked off, and she watched the way his fiery footfalls burned their marks into the ground. She sighed and got out of the pool to find something in the lair to dress herself with. She smiled slightly with surprise. The potion that she took appeared to fully remove the bleeding. It didn't just minimize it. That was a relief, but who knew how long it would last.

As she picked out a simple dress of soft leather, she heard some strange noises outside the mouth of the cave. They were almost like a chanting with a rattling combination. She slowly walked outside and found herself ambushed by dark-skinned men in animal skins. She hissed and fought back, calling to the shadows for aid. When the shadows came to help her, they made illusions before the eyes of the humans that monsters were coming to kill them. The only thing that she didn't plan on was, instead of them releasing her, they fled with her.

Her shadows followed them and tried to get them to release her. It was then that she realized the shadows couldn't kill anything unless she was safe. As long as she was caught, they could only threaten and not harm. She screamed shrilly and doubled her efforts at trying to escape them, but they were hunters. They were used to handling prey that would kick and scream in violent throes. They took her to their village where firelight drove away her shadows. In one last effort, she had them send for Horny. They would retrieve her father if Horny seemed to be outnumbered.

The strange men tied her to some kind of a tree and backed away. She screamed again and tried to work through her bonds of rough leather. She paused when she noticed an old man walking towards her with a sense of purpose. He was stooped and used a walking stick decorated with feathers. An animal skull was attached to the top of it and he wore heavy furs. His bald head was adorned with long, colorful feathers and had one giant sapphire attached in the center.

As he walked up to her, she snarled and bared her fangs. With a fearful glance he backed away quickly and rose up one old hand. As he prepared to speak, she grew out her black wings and tail. He stared at her fearfully as she hissed and glared at him. When he felt himself grow paralyzed in her eyes, he spoke in a trembling voice to his tribal men. They screamed in response and advanced on her with their spears drawn. She hissed silently and moved her gaze around to the others. Then she grinned and began to sing in her haunting voice.

The men were spellbound by the sound and when she stopped singing, they just stared at her. The silence was broken by Horny's savage scream for blood. The elder cried out sharply to the tribal men and everyone scattered. Horny bellowed as he entered the clearing and found the old man cowering. When the man spoke, Horny paused. He understood his strange dialect. After a few moments, the two of them conversed. When Horny pointed to Saithe, the old man nodded and had his men release her.

She snarled and prepared to lunge at them, but Horny was expecting this. He jumped to her side and held her still.

"It's all right. These men are the protectors of this island. Shadowsbane brought them here, himself. They are savages and did not know who we were. You do not have to worry about them anymore."

"Like hell I don't!" she seethed. As she looked at the old man again, he was perplexed. He was listening to the way she spoke and was trying hard to understand it. Horny spoke with him again at length, and the old man nodded.

"Let's go now. They will hunt for us. This way I won't have to leave you alone," he said. She glared at him, but nodded slightly. As she was leaving, she looked around the encampment once more and noticed one man that appeared to stand out from the others. There was some kind of light in his eyes that unnerved her, and she felt some kind of feeling that all was not completely well. She knew that Horny was going to be with her and that was what mattered.

He led her back to the cave, and he paused as he heard the old man calling to speak with him. He looked at Saithe and back at the old man. He clearly did _not_ want to be disturbed, but if he wanted to keep these savages under control then he had to speak with the elder. He nuzzled Saithe's neck lightly and trudged over to him. When she watched him, she noticed something moving in the bushes. Her senses fully awake and her mood ready for blood, she approached it slowly. The man who disturbed her senses from the village was waiting for her.

He was short and stocky, yet well-muscled from hunting in the underbrush. He had a bow and arrow with him instead of a spear. He appeared like one of the men she encountered here so far, but it was his eyes that bothered her. They were far too intelligent for the standards she had seen, and she was highly aware that her mind was screaming for her to retreat. Yet it was that very notion that made her curious as to why he had come here to see her. If he was curiosity and she was a cat, she would kill the curiosity before it killed her.

"I understand speech," he said slowly as he watched her.

"What do you want?" she hissed.

"Talk," he said slowly. He glanced at Horny with the elder and looked back at her. She studied him and merely smiled. She'll kill him if he hurt her.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"You eat hearts…yes?" he asked slowly.

"I do. Why?"

"Animal not far from here. Big one. We kill together?" he asked slowly.

"No."

"Why?"

"I will not leave Horny's side."

"Red demon not care. You safe now. Come hunt?"

She knew this was a trap. It had to be. She narrowed her eyes in thought and sent a shadow off to her father. She will be watched and protected in any form. When she felt her father watching her, she gave a slight nod to the man. He smiled and nodded back. The man told her the creature they were hunting was massive and very mean. She thought and figured if it was evil by nature it could be used as a weapon for war instead of killed. She followed the man, and he led her to a mountainside. She was considerably far from Horny, and she began to worry a little. She sent a shadow off to tell him where she was. When she still felt the eyes of her father on her, she felt some relief at it.

She followed the man a little more, and he brought her to a clearing. She paused and stopped at the edge of it. Something didn't feel right and she refused to go any further. There was something that clearly screamed that danger was ahead.

"How much farther?" she asked cautiously.

"Beast not far. Come?" the man asked.

"No. This place…is not safe for me," she hissed. The man started to laugh and nodded at her. Then her eyes widened as his form shifted and grew into that of another Shadow Demon. He looked much like her father, except he was smaller and not as handsome. His eyes were tinged with red, and his wings not as impressive as her own.

"Welcome to my home, Saithe," the demon grinned. "My name is Lyth. I'm so glad you followed me here."

"What do you want?!" she snapped.

"Did you know that whoever ate your heart would gain powers unlike any ever imagined? You eat the hearts of those you kill and your powers grow. Such a shame you don't know how to use them. But, if I ate your heart, I would gain them all!"

"And you know that you will not touch her!" Shade said as he appeared next to her. "All that you said is a fable. It has never been proven!"

"Well, well…if it isn't my long lost brother! Such a wonder that you have made such an incredible thing. You do know that females of our kind are unheard of. To think that she even made it past the birth is incredible on its own! And you do know that females are the only ones who grow stronger than males, but that's only if females were chosen and more common. Females are known to get out of control and reckless when it should be the males that do that. I'm surprised you haven't taught her how to fully control her powers yet, but that's not necessary now."

"Brother?" she looked at her father with ridicule. Shade glared back at her lightly, knowing not to look in her eyes directly.

"Of course, if she were to come to me as a bride…then that would be a different story," Lyth said silkily. "Even you know how desirable she is."

"She was meant for only one creature and she has found him. The Horned Reaper is hers as she is his. You need to kill him before you can fully reach her," Shade said. "But, I'm not going to let you touch him."

"So, the alliance you spoke of is real now? How entertaining."

"Yes, it is. And you should be careful of how you speak of my daughter."

"Hmm? Oh, her? The tramp at your side?" he glowered and laughed. Saithe tensed, but remained still. She refused to step foot into the clearing and she backed away. As she did, Lyth summoned his own shadows to block her retreat, and Shade called his own to help her escape. Lyth snarled as shadow fought shadow, each trying to consume the other to see who the victor would be. Lyth found himself gaining the upper hand, but all the shadows were killed when Horny appeared with his fiery tracks. The light of the flames kept the shadows at bay, and Shade seemed relieved at the sight of him.

"Saithe!" Horny shouted as he saw her. He looked over at the other Shadow Demon and snarled with rage. Shade pulled Saithe away from the clearing to a safe distance and looked over at Horny.

"This is my brother, Lyth. He is trying to kill Saithe to eat her heart," Shade said with a shrug. "The clearing he's in amplifies his power. If I walk into it, I would not be able to survive, since it's his shadows in there and not mine. They would kill me instantly, and would have harmed Saithe if she walked into it. However, this clearing only works with those of the shadowed blood. I believe this is why Shadowsbane found this island. He is of a shadowed nature, himself, and probably charged his dark powers here while resting."

"Shadowsbane? That dead dragon?" Lyth laughed. Horny merely watched him as the sound of flapping was heard behind them.

"_Who is dead? Maybe undead…but not dead_," Shadowsbane snorted as he approached the clearing with ease. "_And what are you doing on MY island?_"

Lyth stared at the dragon and pointed at him with disbelief. His shadows informed him he was dead. He was now clearly confused about what he was told. The shadows did speak truth, but the dragon was now animated as undead. Yet, this was no skeletal dragon he was looking at. The black dragon had no rotting flesh revealed. The scales looked fresh and firmly attached the hide. The wings looked strong and the webbing intact. Then a thought hit him. This island _did_ belong to the dragon. If the dragon was here and had claimed this site first, would he still be able to control it? He glanced at Saithe. Despite wanting to eat her heart, she was quite a stunning creature to see. He refocused on his new threat.

"You were dead and I found this island available. In fact, you still are dead!" Lyth said with a renewed act of confidence.

"_That may be so. However, if the only way for me to get this island back is to kill you, then I must see to it, shouldn't I? And how can shadows kill something that is already dead, hmm? Or have you forgotten that?_" the dragon hissed with laughter as he stepped into the clearing. Shade watched his brother back away as the shadows refused his command. It was wrong enough for one Shadow Demon to fight another, but it was even worse for the shadows to try to kill something they could not kill. They abandoned Lyth completely to fend for himself.

Saithe watched Shadowsbane surround the clearing with fire. The light easily paralyzed Lyth in his own weakness. A Shadow Demon cannot move when surrounded by light. Horny came up behind her and slowly pulled her away. Shade remained with the dragon to make sure his brother was properly defeated.

"There is nothing more for us here," Horny said before looking at her when they were well away from the clearing. "Are you all right?"

"Yes. I'm unharmed for the most part. I don't want to know what that was all about. I am a bit concerned, though," she said.

"About what?"

"Lyth said that if someone else ate my heart they would gain indescribable power. He also said that I barely know how to control mine. If what he says is true, and if others know of me, then I'm not safe anywhere."

He watched her and shook his head. He will not kill her for her heart, nor would he let anyone else attempt to try it. He picked her up and cradled her as he carried her back to the lair. She rested against him the whole time, and he kept his eyes alert for any form of movement. He grunted to himself as he took her back into the room of furs and lay her down on the small bed she made. He lay next to her and chuckled slightly when she crawled onto him to rest. He scowled at the leather dress she wore and moved her to rip it off before placing her back on him.

"How long do we plan to stay here?" she asked.

"Well, with the way things are currently going, not much longer. Unless Shadowsbane can fully safeguard this place, I refuse to remain on this island."

"_My choice of vacation places is not good enough? Even my own private retreat?_" the dragon seemed to suppress feelings of hurt as he peered into the room.

"Your private retreat nearly got my mate killed!" Horny snarled.

"_I spoke with the natives personally. They are glad to see me 'alive' and will make amends to what they have done. I have them setting about killing animals and bringing hearts here. They will leave them outside my lair for you to find. They did not know of Lyth or the form he had become to infiltrate among them. Shade made sure his brother was trapped effectively as he gave up his Shadow Demon status when he made too many foolish movements. Shadows are not to be taken lightly._"

"As we have seen," Horny replied. The dragon nodded gravely and looked over at Shade as he appeared.

"My brother will no longer bother us. The shadows made him into another shadow. He is completely under my control. You see, a Shadow Demon is made by a shadow, itself. As a shadow gains more of its own intelligence and independence it can become a demon. It took me five hundred years to fully gain my own status as a demon. I have been a demon for three hundred so far," Shade said.

"But if that's the case," Saithe started. "Is Lyth really your brother?"

"Not really. All Shadow Demons refer to each other as a family of sorts, since not many are around."

"So, Lyth is still alive?" Horny asked.

"Yes, but only as a shadow, as I have stated before. He has been stripped of his demonic awareness and is back at the beginning. He's just an obedient shadow and will only remain that way," Shade reassured. "I was far older than him, and he knew it."

"Was it true when he said that there weren't any females?" Saithe asked.

"Yes. It is true. All the shadows that gain demonic status prefer to be male. Females are not that strong and tend to be more of a hassle to stay as."

"To stay as? You mean you can become a female right now?" Horny asked with a smirk. "You can change your sex?"

"Technically, yes. I can do that. However, I will not. My mind will alter, and I may lose some valuable memories and insights that I have learned. That is the only downside to changing sex at will. One may not know how to change back, or may forget why they changed."

"_Makes perfect sense. We should go now and make sure the island is secure_," Shadowsbane hissed. Shade nodded and vanished to do that. Horny watched the dragon secure his lair once more before leaving to scout.

"Now that they have finally left," Horny grinned and pulled her tight against him. When he heard the old man at the entrance, he snarled viciously. Saithe sighed and moved to roll off him, but he held her tight to keep her on.

"If he wants to talk to me that badly, he'll come in here himself," he growled.

"And if it's hearts he's delivering?" she asked. He grumbled and shoved her off him to get up. He walked to the entrance of lair and spoke harshly to the old man. She listened and giggled as they exchanged comments.

"You know, you could always ask a shadow to translate for you," Shade said as he appeared sitting next to her in a cross-legged position. She pondered and shook her head slowly.

"I don't want to know what they are discussing. If Horny wants me to know, he'll tell me. I don't have to listen to every conversation he has."

"What? Didn't I teach you to eavesdrop at _every_ available conversation?!" Shade said with amazement. "I thought you enjoyed it."

"You did and, yes, I did enjoy it. I just feel I should not have to listen to what my mate discusses. He tends to tell me everything, anyways. I listen to the others around me when he is not around. That is the best way to go."

"Stupid tribal bullshit!" Horny snarled as he stormed back in. "I do _not_ want a sacrifice in my honor! I have no need for it!"

"See?" Saithe smiled sweetly to her father. Shade laughed softly and vanished before he was discovered. Horny looked around slowly and scowled as he walked back into the room to lie down. He did notice a rather large leather bag that appeared next to them. He figured the shadows had brought the latest crop of hearts. When he opened it, he found his suspicions correct. He pulled out a large heart and began to open each chamber. Saithe watched him and moved to take the heart from him, but he stopped her.

"It's been awhile since you bathed in blood, hasn't it?" he thought as he looked at her. She watched him and smiled slowly. He lifted the heart over her and let the blood drain onto her skin. He watched her slick the blood over herself and he bent down to lick it off. She groaned as his tongue worked over her and she tugged on his horns. He was about to do more, but Shade came back. Horny snarled and glared at him.

"I am sorry to interrupt, but there is an opening to attack the other castle now. The queen there has a son. The prince we know of. He needs to find someone to marry. It's rather interesting, really. The queen has to interrogate every girl she deems fit to marry her son," Shade said slyly. Saithe looked at him skeptically.

"How does she interrogate them?" she asked.

"Only one way to find out, I'm afraid. You will have to go there as a runaway, maybe. Perhaps as the harem girl disguise we talked about earlier?" he asked.

"I don't think she should do that," Horny says with a snarl. "Although, if there is an opening to attack now, then we should take advantage of it before it slips away."

"And there is my bed at home," she grinned and pressed herself against Horny. He swore and glared at Shade again.

"Fine. Take us back. And do so quickly before I change my mind."

With a nod, Shade gathered the shadows, and they vanished from there to reappear in the main Heart Chamber. The undead servants already had the pretty green silk garment ready for her. She raised a brow at them and looked at her mate.

"I guess they want me to go now?" she frowned at him. He glowered at the servants and snorted. He didn't want to leave her, but if they had to act now, then they had no choice. He hated the decision.

"Clean up, get dressed and meet me in our chambers," he grumbled. Pulling her close, he kissed her deeply before releasing her. Watching him leave, she let the maids wash her with small buckets of water first. Then she took the green silks and changed into them right there by the Heart. Her wings vanished into her back as she fitted the silk onto her skin. The undead servants fitted the last of it and then left her to find her mate. She walked from the Heart directly to where her room was. When she was going to enter it, she paused as she heard the Mistress's voice.

"Horny, why can't you just forget about her? I'm telling you, it could be just us all over again!" the woman crooned.

"Whore, get away from me!" he snarled and slapped her away. "You can never replace her, and there is a part of me that can never be torn away from her!"

"Love, is there something wrong?" Saithe asked as she walked in. He was about to say something, but instead, he made a fist. He wanted to rip the silks right off her, but it was part of her disguise. The Mistress seemed to sulk, but she walked out of the room.

"Yes, there is something very wrong. I can't rip that crap off you, can I?" he asked as she walked over to him. The Mistress was already forgotten. She grinned and pressed herself against him. He ran a hand over her body and growled.

"I think you should beat me. This way it looks like I ran all the way there in fear for my life," she grabbed onto his horns to pull him closer.

"Well, there is no other way to go about it, is there?" he grabbed her hips and pulled her down to his. She giggled and ran her hands over his sides.

"How do you wish to do this?" she teased with a small arch against him.

"So wicked you are," he chuckles as he ran his tongue over her neck.

"I have an excellent teacher," she reveled in the thrill he gave her. That thrill turned into a cry of pain, when his mouth clamped on her neck to bruise it with a hard suck to her skin. His hands moved over her to pinch and leave bruises. He remembered how he beat her before. It was simpler this way and would be easy to heal her. She was shaking when he was done and he tossed her from him. The shadows caught her and warped her away. He got up to follow and protect his love soon after.


	25. Chapter 25

She appeared a mile from the castle. She had to force herself to run all the way up to the castle steps. It was nearing sunset and the castle was just starting to close up.

"Let me in! Please!" she cried out in a panic before collapsing to the ground in exhaustion. Two guards came out with spears, but instead of letting her in, they held the spears at her.

"Who are you?!" one burly guard asked. As she was going to answer, the prince himself came down and shoved the guards out of the way.

"She's wounded! Bring her in and help her! Then we ask the questions!" he snapped at the guards. They bowed and put their spears away. Gripping Saithe by each arm, the pulled her into the healers wing of the castle and dropped her on a cot. The prince saw the whole display, and the two guards would find themselves heading to the next castle for recruitment. Of course, no one would know that they would never make it from the undead dragon lurking a mile out of the castle.

When her strength was restored an hour later, the prince was still there. He was fully smitten by her beauty, and he wanted to learn all about her.

"Thank you…for your kindness…" she whispered.

"You are very welcome. What is your name?"

"I…I don't remember," she lied smoothly with a trembling swallow. "I remember running from the palace when a dragon attacked it. I…I ran so long and for so many moons. I am sorry, Master."

She felt Horny snarl when she said the word, but he knew it was part of the disguise. She was a harem girl, raised to serve a master. Just a sex slave. When the prince had his mouth dropped, he looked up to find the queen walking in. She studied Saithe carefully and moved closer. Looking at the healer, she nodded and walked away. The prince seemed to hang his head.

"What is wrong, Master?" she asked with a frown.

"My Mother wishes to test you. She thinks you may be worthy of being my wife. She gave the look to show that she was interested in you being with me."

"How am I to be tested?"

"I don't know. All I know is that the girls leave almost as quickly as they came. As though they were humiliated. How I hate her!" he seethed. Horny chuckled in her mind. This would be interesting. The only downside was that there were no chambers prepared for a mere slave girl. She remained in the healers wing the rest of the night.


	26. Chapter 26

When she woke in the morning, her bruises were gone and she was told where to find the queen. Blinking as she walked through the stone halls, she found the tall set of stone steps that lead up to the queen's room. The moment she was in front of the door, she was pulled inside by the maid.

"She's mine! Don't forget it, bitch!" the maid hissed. Now this was really interesting! But, Saithe did not like the maid's attitude.

"We shall see about that," Saithe grinned wickedly. Now the maid stared at her with surprise. She did not expect that retort one bit. As she backed away, Saithe moved quickly. The shadows came alive and grabbed the maid as she shoved the girl into them.

"Ah!" the maid gasped with terror.

"Keep her alive for me. Actually, I just need her heart. I may get hungry later!" she laughed. The maid's fate pleasantly sealed, she returned to being the timid little slave girl. The queen walked over to her and looked around.

"Where is Matila?" she asked suspiciously. "My attendant?"

"I don't know, Mistress. She left when I was pulled in here," she said innocently.

"Oh. All the better then. Come along," she gave an airy wave and gestured to the middle of the room by the bed. Saithe frowned, but did as she was told. Now she was instructed to undress. This had Saithe confused.

"What, Mistress?" she asked curiously.

"I didn't stutter. Undress," the queen instructed. Blinking, but she did as she was told. The queen looked over Saithe's body as though appraising. On the sight of the skulls she had on her breasts and the belly ring, she gave a faint smile of interest. "How did you get those? Rather unusual designs, aren't they?"

"My last Master was cruel. He marked those that belonged to him."

"I see. Are you a virgin?"

"No," she said sadly. The queen only smiled a bit more. Walking over to her, she placed a hand right between her legs and rubbed. "What are you doing, Mistress?!"

"I'm testing you," the queen said and pushed a finger deep into her. Another gasp and the queen withdrew her finger. Now she tasted what her finger had, and she looked at Saithe with a smile. Now a commanding, husky whisper came forth, "Get on the bed and spread your legs. Keep them wide open for me."

So this was what the maid meant!

"Mistress! I can't do that! I mean, well," Saithe said with a small sense of panic. Then something soothed her. Horny's voice calmed and urged her to do as the queen asked. It would make her easier to taint.

"If you don't do this for me, then you are not fit to be with my son," the queen said. A shiver of disgust was all Saithe could give, but she got on the bed and opened her legs. Once that was done, the queen opened her up further and then buried her face between her thighs. The queen's intense licking started to drive Saithe mad. Clinging to the bed sheets with sweat appearing on her skin until she came hard, the queen kept drinking in what she gave out. When Saithe thought she was spent, the queen started to do this again. Several times, Saithe gave herself over to the queen. When the queen finally rose up, Saithe was panting. Only Horny could get her to the point of complete satisfaction. The queen was nothing compared to him. She could only pleasure.

"You belong to me, little harem slave," the queen whispered as she removed her dress easily. That was when Saithe sat up and glared at her. The color drained from the queen's face when the fangs were revealed.

"I believe that it is the other way around, you royal slut!" Saithe hissed. Her tail slinked right out of her and buried deeply into the queen quickly.

"How dare you!" the queen screamed in outrage, but Saithe pulled the queen onto the bed. She pushed her hips onto the woman's face.

"Finish what you started or I'll kill you right here in your own bed!" she grinned. There was no further convincing needed. As Saithe's tail pleasured the queen, the queen pleasured her back. This time, she gave the queen no rest for an hour. By the time she was done, her tail withdrawn, the queen was in too much shock. What surprised the queen even more was that Saithe was still unsatisfied.

"Now what is your name, hmm?" Saithe asked as she moved off the queen.

"Sorsha," she whispered. She was completely floored by what happened.

"Your brothers will be here to visit you soon. If you play nice, maybe you will not end up as true slaves like them. I can let you live here as always. As for your son, he may be a problem. We would have to kill him."

"No! Not Daren! Please!" the queen pleaded.

"Ahh, but why won't you let him marry?"

"I only wanted a girl to allow me to pleasure her as well as himself!"

"To share a bride? How wicked of you, Sorsha. You should have known better," Saithe chided. Sorsha was going to respond back, but Horny was there and out of the shadows. Now she smiled greatly and said, "Ah, my love!"

He glared at the queen. Now the woman didn't know what to do. Her plan never went this far downhill.

"Touch my wife again and you'll wish you never knew the scent of another!" he snarled. The queen could only nod, but now there was a problem. The taste of Saithe was not going to leave her tongue. By the way she looked at Saithe, it was easy to figure out. He had vowed right then and there to never let another have Saithe in such a manner. That right was reserved for him alone.

"My love, it appears that my sexual nature is addictive. Isn't that interesting?" Saithe mused. "What do you think?"

"You mean, she still wants you?" Horny looked at her and back at the queen with amusement. Then he started to laugh and whispered to his love. Saithe grinned and glared at the wanting queen.

"If you perform your duties for me with utmost perfection, I may let you have another taste of me yet. However, if you disgust me, you will be deprived. Understood?" Saithe growled. "If you don't do as I say, you'll be watching what my husband does to me! You won't get anything! Understood?!"

The queen could only nod frantically. She had never tasted anything like this! It was a taste that she simply couldn't put into words! Saithe was so evil that she corrupted those that tried to take anything from her. This could easily be used to her advantage.

"What can I do, Mistress?" the queen asked. Saithe only grinned at the change of command. Horny whispered to her of what to say.

"You are to act as though nothing has happened and proceed as usual so I may continue the game at hand. You shall inform your son that I have passed your first test and that another will come up shortly," she started and then looked at Horny. "I think he needs to be introduced to the Mistress. Don't you?"

Horny flung back his head and laughed. The prince would be forced to marry the Mistress. Or he would simply die. He preferred the latter. Nuzzling Saithe's neck, he glared at the queen as she dressed.

"We have time. What do you want to do?" Horny muttered.

"My love, let me go about the castle and find the weaknesses," Saithe whispered in his ear enticingly. He snorted, smacked her rear and retreated to the shadows. After the queen dressed, she dressed herself.

"I will need my maid," the queen said softly.

"Your maid pissed me off and is now unavailable. Likely permanently by now. I'm sure you can find another," Saithe replied with a grin. The queen paled and nodded. Gesturing for her to walk ahead, Saithe followed with her head hanging down. Sorsha lead her back into the main hall where her son was waiting anxiously.

"I approve of her," the queen said regally. Her son's mouth dropped.

"You do?!" he was elated now. This girl just might become his bride!

"However, I am not done. She has one more trial to fulfill. When she passes that one, she will be free for you. There are still other girls coming here, and I will test them, regardless. Understood?"

"Yes, Mother," he frowned at that. He really wanted a wedding to happen now. As he watched Saithe trail after his mother, he called out to her.

"Yes, Master?" Saithe asked. Horny still snarled at it. He didn't like this acting at all and was planning to put a complete stop to it.

"You don't need to call me that. Daren is fine," he said with a light smile.

"Oh. Well, if you insist…Daren," she batted her eyes at him innocently. She heard Horny snickering from the shadows when he caught her sneer when the prince looked away. She clearly detested him.

"How did she test you?" he asked slowly. Now this was going to be fun! Looking around, she knew the queen was close by and she swallowed.

"I was ordered not to tell."

"Oh. Well…can you whisper it to me? Something? I really need to know!"

Saithe feigned hesitation. In truth, the queen gave no such order. This was just her way of having fun!

"Tonight at midnight. Confront me outside. The stables. Okay?"

"I'll be there!" he nodded and walked off to go to his other duties.

"Come here!" Sorsha commanded.

"Yes, Mistress!" Saithe called back and walked over to her. The shadows lead her down a dark hallway and as she passed the middle, she felt a mouth on hers. The queen was making an interesting move!

She was about to shove her away, but Horny wanted it to happen. The more it did, the more corrupted the queen got. With corruption, it would be easier to take her down. Saithe growled a bit, but let it go when she felt fingers start to massage her inner thighs. When the softness of a tongue was felt, she let out a low moan. Letting the queen have her way with her was one thing. Knowing that Horny was watching made it easier on her. She gave herself over and found herself in a continuous climax. The queen wasn't stopping! Saithe had never found herself riding on an orgasm like this, and now Horny was intrigued. He'll be trying it later.

Several minutes later, the queen released her, and Saithe nearly fell to the floor. The shadows held her up and helped her recuperate quickly.

"I…couldn't help it…" Sorsha said with a shiver.

"Be lucky I allowed it!" Saithe hissed with irritation. Sorsha seemed to swallow with fear, but the corruption took a deeper hold. Saithe was Horny's drug. Now she was a drug to the queen.

"I really couldn't help it! Please forgive me!" Sorsha whimpered.

"I said it was fine. If anything, my husband was amused. Where were we heading before this?"

"The kitchens. I was going to supervise the dinner."

"Then let us go."

The queen nodded and led the way. Once there, an impressive feast was being set up. Three pigs on spits, chickens and pheasants were trussed up and there was a whole series of appetizers consisting of shell fish being displayed. Saithe was getting nauseous from the smells. On seeing her, Sorsha asked, "What's wrong?"

"I cannot eat this," she growled. The queen looked at her expectantly.

"What do you need?"

"Raw hearts freshly removed from the animals and blood to drink."

"Raw…" the queen wanted to feint! "I'll…I'll see what I can do."

"I don't need to eat with everyone else. I lost my taste for those other foods long ago. This is something that I simply accept."

"Very well. I'll order you to wait in my chambers, and I'll have the meal sent to you from my most discreet servants. Oh, my maid isn't here. I'll have to see to another."

"That you will. Maybe I'll just eat her heart, since I said I would," Saithe mused and turned as her father stepped into the kitchen. Sorsha's mouth dropped at the sight of Shade and he grinned at her.

"Saithe! I just wanted to see how you were," he mused.

"Sorsha, this is my father. Don't piss him off."

"Corrupted so much, aren't you?" Shade mused as he watched the queen regain her composure. He was actually quite taken with her. It wasn't often that a mortal woman caught his interest in such a way.

"Will you be eating with us as well?" the queen asked calmly.

"No. I will need to speak with you, though. Considering that you are so corrupted that Saithe controls all of your movements."

Sorsha's eyes widened and her mouth dropped.

"Father, I think she needs to know what a cock feels like later," Saithe snickered. The queen's eyes widened further as she stammered.

"Quite right. I'll be sure to help with that," he grinned as he stretched out his wings and flexed his chest. "I'll be back later. Others are coming."

Nodding to him as he left, the queen could only shudder. She knew she was locked into everything now. If her son knew what was happening, he would rebel against her and all of her plans would be ruined.

"What are you thinking of, Mistress?" Saithe asked innocently as servants came in to take away the food.

"Just how my son should not know of my secrets. He's a very delicate boy," she seemed to whisper it out with a dried throat. Saithe grinned wickedly and leaned in close to whisper to the queen.

"Your son wants to meet me at midnight to tell him how you work. If you give in to my Father's desires, I may be able to tell a white lie."

She paled at this news, but then she nodded frantically. She'll do anything to keep her son from knowing the truth. A deep breath taken to regain her composure again and she frowned. So much has gone wrong!

Saithe went to the queen's chambers to await her special meal, and Horny was there to meet with her.

"I don't like her," he snarled as he hugged his mate close.

"Neither do I," she agreed.

"She pleasures you like I should. I hate her."

"Then kill her."

"Not until I'm done with her!" Shade said as he walked in to join them.

"Hrmph. Fine. Kill her when you're done! Then I'll slaughter the prince!"

"Save him for the Mistress," Saithe grinned. "I'm going to tell him what his mother has been doing. Then I may corrupt him, too."

"NO!" Horny slathered and hugged her close. "No prince will touch you! Let the Mistress handle that!"

"Yes, dear," she giggled at his temper and tugged on his horns. He let out a grunt and gazed into her black eyes. Kissing him after he tumbled into bliss, he let Shade collect the meal and kill the servant when the man stared at what was in the queen's chambers. The shadows cleaned up the mess, and he gave the heart and blood to Saithe.

"It's clean. No poison," her father said. Nodding as she shared the heart with Horny, she let him paint the blood on her and start licking it off. When Shade was glared at, he decided to check on the maid.

The girl was in the Torture Chambers and was strapped down to a table. The Mistress was enjoying herself with whipping her when Shade interrupted her.

"I'm working. What is it?" she grumbled as the maid whimpered in pain.

"Let something play with her in a sexual way. She hates males," Shade grinned. "Anyways, I need to tell you something. You are going to marry a prince."

"WHAT?!" the Mistress screeched and gave several more lashes to the maid.

"It's part of the plot to corrupt a rather innocent prince. He knows nothing about women. You could easily claim him as your own."

"Really? A virgin prince? Now that…is a very convincing concept. How will you work this out?" she ignored the crying maid and spotted a wandering Warlock. Gesturing for him to play with the maid, he was all too happy to help. Walking out of the chamber with Shade, it wasn't long before the maid was screaming from rape. A nice long line would be forming soon.

"Yes. I will disguise you as Saithe. Horny will know who you are, so no ideas!" he snapped out quickly to quell any thoughts. The Mistress frowned, but she nodded.

"That will work. All right, I'm convinced. Tell me when and where to appear and I'll be there."

"Good," Shade nodded and left her to go back to work. Walking through the shadows, he did a quick check around the lairs and various rooms before heading back.

When he got back to the queen's chambers, he was grinning. Saithe was howling in pleasure from Horny's tongue, and he wasn't going to be letting her go anytime soon. He was far more skillful than the queen was. He was letting his mate know it. Horny sensed they were being watched, and he paused to glare. "Get lost!"

"Noted. I'll check on the prince," he mused and found his way into the small chambers. He was a bit surprised. The prince had just sacrificed a small animal, likely a mouse, on the small idol statue in his chambers. He was trying to summon evil? Shade grinned wickedly now. He won't disappoint.

"Why aren't you answering my prayers?!" the prince hissed at the bloody idol on his desk. "I want you to come and kill my mother!"

"Hello, Daren," Shade said as he materialized into the room. The prince did a double take and stepped back.

"Who are you?" he asked softly.

"My name is Shade. Who were you trying to summon?" he asked calmly as he stretched out his black wings.

"The Devil," the prince said proudly. Shade stifled a laugh. That one was always busy, but he knew of one that would work even more in their favor.

"How about, I bring you someone better? Someone who can easily put all of your fears to rest? It will cost you absolutely nothing. Just a fraction of your time."

"Well…" the prince paused. He never expected his summoning to work.

"You have until after midnight. I'll come to you with your answer then."

The prince nodded and Shade retreated to the shadows to laugh loudly. This was a pleasant surprise! He headed back to the queen's chambers to find the two evil lovers finishing up. On appearing he made his reports.

"So, the Mistress agrees. Good. And now I am _very_ interested in the prince!" Horny grinned wickedly. "If he tries to summon again, I'll be waiting. Matter of fact, I'll just go now."

He kissed Saithe deeply and watched her rest on the bed. A nod to Shade and he walked into the shadows to confront the prince. When he got there, Daren was trying to hide the mess on his desk.

"You summoned me?" Horny asked as he walked out of the shadows. His footfalls leaving permanent burn marks on the floor. The prince turned and his mouth dropped as he backed away from the huge, red demon. Glowing yellow eyes narrowed as he fixated himself on the prince.

"Y-yes, I did," he started. "I just spoke with a shadow man who was going to collect an answer from me later."

"Well, I'm here now. I was simply detained. I heard your summon, but had to finish my other deal first. Shade informed me of you to remind me to see to this. What do you want?!" he slathered. "And don't waste my time!"

"I want…" the prince swallowed. "I want my mother dead."

"Why?" Horny asked and crossed his arms over his massive chest.

"Well…she's mean! Cruel! She keeps girls from me and never tells me why they leave! I just want to know what she does!"

"That's all? You will find out when you meet the sex slave tonight! As for your mother…" he snarled. He turned to look at the small idol dripping with blood. He took the scythe off his back and hacked it in half with a single swift movement. Then he grinned as he sneered, "Consider her dead by sunrise!"

The prince sat there stunned at first. Shaking himself free of the sensation, he took a deep breath. Then he stammered out, "V-very good. Th-that will be all…"

"There is a payment to consider!" Horny sneered.

"Payment?! Well…what payment?" the prince asked nervously.

"You will marry a woman of _my_ choosing," Horny grinned. The prince paled. A woman of a demon's choosing?! Was he mad?!

"I…" he started and lost his courage at the smoldering glare. The demon was ready to kill him if he declined. "I accept your bargain."

"Good," Horny said silkily. "And it will NOT be the sex slave. She's to be mine. I have another in store for you. Not as appealing, but she will do."

"Oh…" he frowned at this news, but a deal was a deal. "Very well."

"Go to your meeting now. And that is not an order. It's a command!"

The prince yelped at the change in tones, and he nodded frantically before bolting out the door. Horny grinned as this simplified things completely. On finding Shade, he explained what just happened, and the Shadow Demon was almost on the floor in laughter. Why were things so easy?! Surely, something had to become a challenge soon. Would there ever be a challenge? On checking the time, he judged it was time for Saithe to have her meeting and he would go after the queen.

"It's time already?" Horny asked.

"Yes. I'll wait for the queen. You watch after Saithe."

"Done," he nodded and walked out of the shadows to find his love. He found her easily by the stables, and the prince was just walking up to her.

"You have come," Saithe purred softly to him. She felt Horny nearby and felt much better. The shadows had informed her of what was going on, so she was fully up to speed on the plans.

"Yes, I have. Please…can you tell me what my mother does?" the prince asked softly. She nodded nervously and looked around before clearing her throat.

"Well…" she feigned hesitation again. "She…she pleasured me."

The prince paused and seemed to freeze. "She did what?"

"She gave me pleasure…" she hesitated again, and the prince went quiet.

"I see. How did she do this?"

"She tasted me. Here," she rubbed a little between her legs. Daren flushed crimson. He tried to speak, but instead he bit his tongue.

"All this time…she did…" he whispered with frustration. Then he started to laugh. Saithe watched him carefully. He clearly hated his mother. All this time she was using the other girls for herself. She was taking them before any form of marriage! Even other princesses that came from other kingdoms! Of course, they wouldn't know how to say anything to their parents or to him. They were flustered, embarrassed and wanted nothing more to do with the royal family here. They would wallow in their hidden shame that their virginity was spoiled, even though the queen didn't fully break them. Just by her doing what she did was enough to soil them.

"Her maid threatened me harm when I went to the queen first. She said something that the queen was hers."

"Stop!" he begged and sat on the ground with frustration. "If I didn't already make a deal with the Devil, I'd kill her myself!"

"With Horny? Oh, he's not a real Devil. He is a powerful demon, though," she said with a slight nod. "He makes deals all the time."

"Well, that makes sense. Wait! How do you know him?!"

"He's my husband," she said with a soft smile. He stared at her and then gaped as Horny came out of the shadows. His heavy footfalls leaving a trail of fire as he scooped her up to put her on his shoulder. She cried out with glee and kicked her feet cutely at him. Then he reached up and ripped off her garments for her skull piercings to show. The prince just stared as her black wings emerged as she looked at him with a fanged smile. A sharp snarl from Horny snapped him out of it.

"Now you see why you can't touch her. But, don't worry! I do have a nice candidate picked out for you. You just better hope you like pain," Horny snickered. Saithe giggled and moved to relax fully over his shoulders, using his spiny protrusions as leg and arm rests.

"Of course," Daren managed to say as he locked his eyes on the sexy Succubus. "I'll retreat to my chambers now. But, my mother will be dead?"

"I gave you my word. She'll die before sunrise," Horny snorted. The prince nodded and moved swiftly back to his chambers.

"Think he's jealous?" Saithe grinned.

"You think I care about his feelings?" Horny replied as he walked back into the shadows with her. While he took her to their bed, Shade was waiting for the queen. He watched her disrobe and lust was already filling his mind. He saw her pause as she was about to call for her maid before she remembered that her maid was gone. A sigh as she managed to undress all but the strap that bound her undergarments to her back. She always had problems removing it on her own.

"Allow me," Shade slyly said, as he stepped out of the shadows.

"What?!" she whirled around quickly and paused when she saw him. She gaped at the dark handsomeness he had and the muscles that were thickly applied to his form. When his wings stretched out, she could only watch him with complete fascination. Even the way his hair framed his form was eye catching! She really wasn't into men anymore. Not since her husband had passed on. It was being with Saithe that sparked this feeling for the Shadow Demon. It made him look appealing and incredibly desirable. He stalked towards her as though she was prey, and he gave a white-fanged smile.

"I'm supposed to kill you by sunset," he said menacingly.

"But…but is there another way?" she asked pleadingly. He thought.

"If you perform adequately, I may be able to do something. It was all your son's idea to have you killed. He was trying to summon the Devil to kill you. Of course, the Horned Reaper was only too happy to answer the call."

"Daren wants me dead?!" she gaped and trembled. "I had no idea…"

"Of course, you didn't!" he snapped. "You denied him happiness, and he got pissed! What more would you expect out of your son? But, like I said before. You make me happy, and I'll see if I can bend a rule or two. Deal?"

"Very well," she sighed with defeat. She didn't stop him when he ripped the clothing off her with a form of savage lust. As much as she wanted to shout for him to stop everything, she forced herself to do nothing. When she was dragged to her bed for the rest of the night, the pain and pleasure she would be forced to endure would outdo anything she had ever experienced before in her lifetime.


	27. Chapter 27

At dawn, Horny was in the queen's bedchamber. While she was in a deep sleep, Shade was finally withdrawing from her. She had scratches, bite marks and bruises all over her body. He clearly enjoyed her all through the night, and she had little to no sleep.

"I have a bargain to keep," Horny growled with his scythe ready.

"I think I want to keep this one," Shade said as he thought aloud. Horny looked at him funny. This was a first.

"Why?"

"She actually lasted longer than the others," he shrugged. "Her tasting Saithe may have had a hand in that. It made her desirable to me. I think I became attractive to her, too. She became rather…willing when she wanted to be."

"And what do I tell the prince?"

"I'll take her to the realm of shadows. He'll never see her again. Your deal will be done. She'll be my personal toy. If anything, we can keep her as a back-up ruler if he doesn't perform his job well enough."

"That can work. I'd prefer her dead, though."

"When I get tired of her, you can kill her."

"Very well," Horny nodded. Shade touched the queen's wrist and she vanished. There was plenty of blood on the sheets from how he tormented her during his mating to suffice for a good kill. With a grin on the Horned Reaper's lips, he walked out of the room to find Saithe dancing in the courtyard. Watching her from the shadows as she twirled in her harem suit was already drawing a crowd towards her. He frowned as he wondered what she was planning. As the sun rose up and touched her curves, he snarled. He didn't like that. As he was contemplating how to reach her, she stopped dancing and regarded the crowd. Then he noticed the prince standing nearby.

"Your prince has chosen a bride!" she howled to the crowd. At this news, the people started to talk and cheer. Then Horny saw why she was drawing the crowd. It was for the prince. Nodding to him to talk to his people, she walked away from him and straight into the shadows where her mate was waiting.

"I was getting worried for a moment. I actually got the disgusting thought that you liked the sunlight," he grumbled. She kissed him deeply and smiled.

"Me like the sun? Never! Anyways, just watch. It will be very entertaining soon," she grinned wickedly. He grinned back and held her as Daren started to lament over how his mother had passed on. The people were in an uproar, but he calmed them with the promise of a new queen. Then the Mistress appeared on queue and the crowd went quiet. They were confused and even the prince was stammering at her appearance. She smirked at them all and snapped her whip. Shade had decided to go without illusions for her. If this was who the queen chose to have her son marry, none of them had any say so. And, since the queen was 'dead', this was considered her last wish. It would be honored no matter how shocking it was.

"GET BACK TO WORK!" the Mistress hissed at them. The servants fled to do their chores. Tossing her red hair around, she leered at the prince. She was now his unofficial wife. He knew she was going to introduce him to her way of giving pleasure.

"Um…" he started before she raised her clawed hand. She appraised him in half a second. She liked what she saw.

"You. Come with me. Now," she grinned. He swallowed and followed her back up to his bed chamber.

"Lovely. Looks like the Mistress will have a personal play toy," Horny grinned. Saithe sighed and leaned into him. Looking down at her, he held up the queen's tiara.

"Oh, how cute!" she giggled. "Oh, what happened to that maid?"

"Well, we didn't kill her. If anything, she is now the personal whore of the Keeper's dungeon," Horny grinned wickedly. "I'm not touching her, though."

"And if she becomes pregnant?" she frowned.

"The Priest has a potion for that," he smirked.

"Good! What happened to the queen? Did she die?"

"No. Your father has taken a…liking to her. The kings are talking to the turned queen now. If the prince fails in his duties, he'll be killed, and she will take his place again. She seems all right with everything. For now, at least. She'll be locked away in realm of shadow while your father keeps his interest in her."

"And what do we do now?"

"Let's leave here. I want to go home."

"Me, too," she nodded and he kissed her deeply. The servants would be replaced with the undead and castle flags would be raised to match the ones at their castle. Slowly but surely, their empire would expand. Then it would reach out and corrupt everything it touched. In the back of Horny's mind, he didn't really need to do much now. Neither did Saithe. It was time for a personal expansion at last. His only issue was how to bring it up to her. That was going to be fun.


	28. Chapter 28

They were reclining in her heart bed a week later. The Priest had a potion ready to give her the moment it was asked for. When Saithe was about to ask for it, Horny rose up his hand with a small smile.

"Horny?" she frowned.

"No more potions. For now, at least," he smirked. She looked at him with surprise. "Think about it. We have enough servants. We have minions. Imps. A few castles. We'll get more, no doubt. But…I feel that it's time. Shadowsbane also has his eggs that will be hatching in time, too."

"I understand," she said with a small blush. When Horny ran a hand over her belly, he paused. She was already pregnant again. She didn't know it.

"Interesting," he mused. "The Priest's last potion didn't work?"

"What?" she asked.

"You're already pregnant," he said. Now she looked at him with disbelief.

"Impossible!" she said. "I took his potion when it was given to me before."

"I know you did. It was right after your last period, too. We also did something before you took it, but that shouldn't have mattered. It should have stopped it."

"Well…what do you want to do?" she asked.

"Leave it," he grinned. "Let it grow."

"Wouldn't it be funny if it was the same baby trying to come back," she chuckled.

"I wouldn't be surprised," he shrugged. Now she looked at him with a touch of curiosity. "Many demon babies get killed and reborn. They don't recall anything, though. So, I wouldn't doubt it. Like I said, let this one grow."

"How long do you think it could be?" she asked.

"Hmm," he thought and pushed a hot hand over her belly. "We could be looking at three to six months. Depending on the strength of the offspring."

"Really?" she asked.

"Some monsters are every month," he grinned. "Fast birth for fast armies. It tends to be that way. Anyways, at the rate of growth here, it's fairly quick."

"But, what happens to the state of the mother?"

"Sometimes it results in death from over-birthing. Unless, of course, the mother is made for such a thing. Many demon females can have litters."

"I never would have thought it."

"I know," he smirked. "But, don't worry. You're just having one."

"You can tell?"

"I can feel it. Anyways, you are going to be famished soon. You'll need something more than chicken hearts. We will need to go raiding a few farmlands."

"We did need to branch out, anyways, right?" she grinned.

"Very true," he nodded. "I wonder if intensely bloody meat would work. As much as you could eat your bed, it takes time to heal. We need something substantial and ready for you to sink your teeth into."

"So, save my bed as a last resort?"

"Yes. It would be best," he agreed. "And, if we find a kingdom while hunting for you, we'll need to enlist it into our fold. Won't we?"

"We should. But…would I have to be the one to lead the charge?"

"No," he said flatly. "I won't let you fight if I want you to carry offspring. I refuse. I'll sit out, too, if I must."

"I doubt that," she snorted. He grinned wickedly at her. "You have to fight."

"True. It would be instinctive for me to do it. Hmm. Maybe I can escort you with an illusion. This way you don't go alone."

"If it works, we should just do that from now on. I hate going alone to places now. Too much of a hassle," she frowned.

"The last thing I want is for something to happen to our offspring. Hmm. Have the shadows start to scout out. I'm sure the Mistress can coax her new husband into giving us a detailed layout of the nearby areas," Horny mused. At the glance over when Shade appeared, he smirked.

"I can get that information for you," Shade offered.

"Good. Get to it," Horny nodded.

"Any special plans, otherwise?" Shade asked. A shadow brought over a chair for him to sit down in.

"A small, personal expansion," he grinned. That had Shade blink with surprise. "She's already pregnant, as it is."

"She is? I thought she was taking the potion?" Shade frowned. "Ah. Her body may be adapting to it. It's no longer effective."

"Is that what it is?" Saithe asked.

"Yes. Your body knows how to get around it. Stronger potions will need to be made in the future," Shade said. "No need to worry about it now. Anyways, I'll check on those plans for the surrounding areas."

"We need to find a location with a lot of farmland. Saithe's appetite may be unruly. I would like to see if heavily bloodied meat will help," Horny said. "As much as the hearts are needed, she may need the solid meat, too."

"I'll see what I can come up with," Shade nodded. When he vanished away, Horny sat up to stretch. She watched the blood drip off his muscled back with intense fascination. When he felt her tongue moving to lap up the drops, he grunted.

"I thought we had things to do today?" he growled.

"One of those things is me," she growled back and nipped his shoulder. Grinning wickedly, he turned and pounced her to do just that.


	29. Chapter 29

As Shade was studying what his shadows were bringing to him for information, he paused at one tidbit that was sent to him. This could put a damper in their plans. Turning and flexing his wings with a touch of frustration, he frowned in thought. It's been bound to happen. He just didn't expect it to happen like this.

"Another Keeper. I'll need to report this to Horny. Now," he muttered to himself. This could be problematic. There were other Keepers out there, but they all tried to kill off any opposition. He would have to send in his shadows to scour as much as he was able, and it was done the moment he thought about it.

When he appeared next to Saithe's heart bed, Horny looked at him with annoyance. Then he saw the look on Shade's face. "Okay. Something wrong?"

"Another Keeper," Shade said.

"Let me talk to my mate alone," he said with a nod.

"I'm already trying to spy around. I'll report what I find," the Shadow Demon nodded and vanished. Saithe was mildly napping, but she was awake after hearing this.

"Another Keeper?" she asked.

"Yes. This is not the only Keeper, you know. There are others out there. They just…don't get along well with others. They try to stay spread out. But, if they encroach on desirable territory, there will be a fight. And there may be one soon. They may even have another of my kind working for them. So, as a precaution, you should stay in this room. I would have you fight at my side, but I want you to have my offspring. I don't want to delay it any further."

"Then abort this fetus and get me pregnant again!" she snapped. "If you think that I am going to stand aside and watch then you are dead wrong!"

"I can't do that," Horny said bluntly. "If we caught it early, we could abort it. There is too much development now. You're already starting to show. That and Shadowsbane's eggs are starting to harden, too. I want my offspring to grow with his. I promised him that much."

"So, you go off and get all of the glory?" she frowned.

"Saithe, you forget what you can do. You can heal the Heart of the Keeper. If the enemy knows what you can do, you may become a spoil of war," Horny said with a hard glare. "I am keeping you here for your own good, too!"

"My own good?"

"You attract danger."

"And you kill it."

"Better if it's attracted here, right? On my own grounds?" he grinned.

"Until you chase it and meet it head on," she pouted. He rolled his eyes. She was moody now. And she was pouting. He'd be upset, too, if he had to miss a good fight.

"No, I won't be running out there," he said. "I'll be here protecting you."

"Will you?" she asked.

"I have to," he snorted. "I'll have Shadowsbane's eggs in here, too. I'm also going to be protecting you because, if the enemy gets you, they have our whole undead army. Including that dragon. I refuse to let that happen!"

"Father said he was getting more information. Should I help?"

"No. If the enemy is cunning, they will try to trace your shadows. Just rest. Let our offspring grow. Hmm?" he looked over at a platter of cow hearts that was delivered by the shadows. Several chunks of incredibly bloody meat were also mixed into the pile. Grinning, he pulled up the plate and held it out to her. She hissed and snatched up a bloody chunk to sink her teeth into. Horny rose a brow at this. She was craving solid meat after all. More would need to be brought.

"What meat is this?" she asked as she chewed. He tried a piece and thought.

"Human," he smirked. "Same with the hearts."

"As long as it fills my belly and feeds our offspring, then I don't care where it came from," she smirked and let him lick off a droplet of blood from her chin. After she ate her fill, he let her recline against him. He kept a rather protective arm around her now. When there was a knock on the chamber door, he sat up and glared hard.

"What?!" he snarled out loud enough to be heard. When it opened, he narrowed his eyes with hatred at the prince that stood there. He did note the elaborate collar around the human's neck. That was a nice little claim from the Mistress's part.

"I brought map plans of the surrounding area," he said.

"Good. Set them aside. A battle will be here soon. Tell your wife to prepare. There may be a siege. She will understand what that means," Horny snorted.

"Right," Daren nodded. Saithe studied him now. She never noticed what he looked like before. It was the same with the queen. There was no need for her to go into such details. What she thought was funny was that Sorsha had golden blond hair with rather pretty blue eyes to go with it. Daren must have come from his father with his darker blond hair and green eyes. He didn't have the stubble on his chin before, though. The Mistress must have had him grow it.

She also noticed that the prince was starting to fill out. That was amusing. Horny noticed how Saithe was looking at the human and snarled. Then she rested her hands on his shoulders and pressed her chest against his back. That calmed him back down. She didn't want any others. She was able to carefully push him back down into the bed to let her body rest on his. He wrapped his arms around her, and it was all she wanted.

She heard her door close, and Horny let out a small snort. She moved to press her face against his neck to hear his heart beating fiercely. She started to remember of the long, lonely month without him. When he felt her trembling, he made a questioning sound. When she didn't answer, he sat up with her again.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I just…remembered when you…weren't here…" she whispered. He looked at her with surprise. Then he remembered something and sighed.

"That's right. This is a part of the pregnancy," he muttered. "Now I know I can't leave your side for anything. If that incident never happened, it would be fine. I guess I can simply rest with you for the next few months."

"So…you won't leave?"

"I already said that I wouldn't. There is no chance that I would be able to. I don't want you to worry and stress over it. If I have to be somewhere, you go with me. Now I want you to shut up and sleep on me."

"What?" she growled. He smirked at her look and pulled her close, as he lay back into the heart bed to get comfortable.

"Besides, do you really want to leave right now?" he muttered. She wanted to argue. She wanted to shout, scream and tear into him. But, as she reclined in his warm embrace, she started to get drowsy. He knew that this was what she needed. Sleep was the key to keeping her calm. That and keeping her belly full. When he felt her full weight added onto him, he gave a heavy sigh. This was also why he waited for as long as he did. Her attitude was going to get rather vicious at times. It couldn't be helped.

"Horny," Shade said when he reappeared. At the glare for him to keep his voice down, the Shadow Demon nodded his apology. "We will need to strategize. What my shadows are telling me is not good."

"I'll be forced to sit this fight out," Horny said. "Saithe is already remembering the time I left her. You know what this means."

"Are you serious?!" Shade hissed. "Abort the damned thing!"

"No," Horny said flatly. "I will sit this fight out. I promised her."

"Horny, this enemy is as powerful as us!"

"What?"

"Yes! This Keeper is as old as the one we serve! Granted, I see things being done now. Our Keeper is preparing. You may be forced to fight."

"I will not. If this other Keeper is preparing a siege, someone needs to stay behind to guard the Heart," Horny grinned wickedly. "On our turf."

"Ah. I see," Shade mused. "The Trolls are already making traps to fill various corridors. New doors and trick halls are being prepared. Oh!"

"What?" he asked. He looked over at his door being suddenly removed for an Imp to deliver a magic door. The portal-like construction would instantly fire large fireballs at any enemies. All of the doors were getting upgraded. When more Imps came in to dig, Horny snarled at them all to work quietly. Their mindlessly giggling chatter didn't help. He was going to get incredibly pissed, but then he noticed that his chamber was being stocked as an emergency Treasury now. A small Library was placed in for him to help research. He wasn't much for doing that, but Shade realized that it was for Saithe. He now saw what the Keeper was doing.

"She will be helping with this battle, after all," Shade grinned. "The Keeper wants her to help research here. Where she will be safe with you."

"Oh…" Horny blinked. "If she thinks she's working with the Keeper to research new spells to help me fight…"

"You might be able to fight, should it be called for."

"Our Keeper is very smart."

"Why else do you think we are here and still alive?"

"True," Horny mused. After the Imps finally left, he yawned. Saithe didn't wake up once. That showed how swiftly the pregnancy was developing. "I need to rest. Find out how many rooms this other Keeper has. What minions he has. And let's hope that other one doesn't have a Scrying room. We don't need our forces to join theirs."

"Shadow Demons never have to worry about that. But, I do see your point. I'll look into it and inform you of what I find," Shade nodded.

"And make sure," he said with a small hiss. "That I am the only Reaper."

"Definitely," Shade said with a sharp nod before leaving the room. Alone with his mate again, he closed his eyes. He was protecting his mate and future offspring. If anything got past the new door, it was as good as dead.


	30. Chapter 30

What Shade uncovered had him nearly go into shock. This other Keeper was stationed in this area for quite some time. An elaborate floor plan was already installed. An army was well established, too. He found evidence that other Keepers tried to dethrone this one with little to no avail. Right now, Shade knew that they were undetected. It had been so long that another Keeper dared to search out here that the watch was lax. The minions didn't really train as much as they used to.

As much as Shade knew that they could hold the element of surprise, there was a problem that he foresaw, too. Quite a few minions were known to explore to claim territory. It was instinctive for them to do. Especially the Imps. It would only be a matter of time before Imps from each side would meet. That would be the first fighting alarm. And that would blow their cover.

He decided to take a drastic measure. He walked over to the Keeper's Heart and watched it beat calmly in the massive chamber. He took in a deep breath and focused.

"My Keeper, I require your attention," he said reverently. When he felt an intense gaze on him, he nodded. It always unnerved him, but this was important. "I have a strategy for you. Keep the Imps from searching for now. Lock them up, if you must. We are not yet ready for a full attack. My daughter will assist with research. We both know what would happen if she is found."

He looked over to see a Warlock in long, purple robes come up to him. He blinked at this, but then he noticed something. The Keeper had possessed the minion to speak with him. "_And, at last, we shall have an old enemy put down. Your strategy is noted. I do know how this can end. Or even begin. I have seen countless battles. I have seen countless deaths. The child of My Heart will be kept safe. I have watched her grow and expand since she first stepped into My domain. However, there is a flaw with her._"

"A flaw?!" Shade hissed. "My daughter is not flawed!"

"_The flaw is in her, so to speak. Because of that flaw, My Horned Reaper will not fight. That displeases Me. Although, I do know why. Affections are something best held away like a lit torch. To be flung away farther than daggers. My Horned Reaper is always loyal to My cause. My Horned Reaper has also made his choice on this matter. He has served Me well. I will not release him from My army. I shall honor his choice instead. He is keeping the child of My Heart safe and secure. He will be My last line of defense should My Heart be under threat. So, as he will be here, there will need to be a replacement in the field of battle. Another will need to lead the charge. You shall find Me another to assist in the charge._"

"So…you want me to find you another replacement to fight in the front? Won't one of the kings we have work for you? Even the dragon?"

"_I cannot let the enemy know of what I have acquired. Such a thing would be…foolhardy. I cannot show all of My cards at the table. We shall need to prepare carefully, My Shadow Demon. When you find one suitable for Me, I shall Possess the tiny mind to assist in the charge. I can lead My army to the Heart of My enemy to slaughter My opposition. Then the spoils can be claimed. I have remained in the sidelines. Content to watch. With another Keeper here…I cannot be idle._"

"I can understand that."

"_I know that the child of My Heart will need intense nourishment. The land above us is rich with such a resource. Although the flaw is growing within her, it could become something of a bonus to My army. Perhaps that is the one that could lead My charge. But, time is of the essence. And we do not have time. Do we?_" the Keeper mused.

"That we do not," Shade agreed.

"_Therefore, I shall attempt to keep My Imps from exploration. But, you know how they can be. We do hold the element of surprise._"

"That we do."

"_It would be problematic if our position was discovered._"

"It would be."

"_Imps are not the only ones that explore._"

"I…oh. You are right."

"_Of course, I am right. I shall call forth a meeting of My minions. Within the hour. Inform My Horned Reaper. Inform the child of My Heart. Inform them all._"

"I shall do as you say," Shade nodded. At that, the Warlock woke up, scratched his head in confusion as to where he was, but Shade gestured for him to remain for the meeting. The minion grinned and nodded. Shadows now went into every inch of his Keeper's domain for a war council.

Horny was not amused at the call to arms. He was loathe to wake up Saithe, but this was to protect his offspring. Grumbling to himself, he gently nudged her awake.

"Huh?" she asked and yawned.

"I'd let you sleep, but the Keeper has other plans. He wants you research some books to help with the war. There is also a council of war that we both need to attend. It can't wait. Apparently, the enemy is stronger than we know."

"Okay. Let me bathe," she said. She was still tired. She was forced to cling to Horny for support when she threatened to stumble out of her heart bed. Then she leaned a bit away from him and retched up everything she ate.

"Of all the…!" Horny hissed and winced. This was going to be a nasty pregnancy. He scooped her up and charged her over to the nearby streambed to help her wash up. When he felt an intense gaze on him, he glared up at the ceiling. "She got ill. She needs to bathe. We will be at the meeting."

The presence was gone after that, and he managed to help Saithe wash off the excess and caked on blood from her skin and hair. The moment she was cleaned up, he had her settle on his shoulders to recline over them. Her platter of meat and hearts was claimed next in the bedroom. When he got to the Heart Chamber, he noticed a patch of carpet was on the ground. Smirking, he let his skeletal throne appear there for him to sit in. It was to hold her in his lap, too, so she could eat.

"She got sick?" Shade asked when he approached them.

"Yes. She's fine now. And I suppose I get a front row seat?" Horny smirked.

"You know it," he grinned. Saithe was busy devouring every scrap of meat on the platter now. When she was going to lick it clean, another platter was offered to her. With her immediate hunger sated, she was able to start chewing on some of the more tender pieces as the others started to appear.

Bile Demons, Trolls, various undead, Warlocks and Goblins all filed into the chamber. The undead kings were stationed near where Horny was settled close to the Heart. Shadowsbane was able to carefully step around the smaller minions as they made room for him. He was heading right over to Horny and Saithe to lay down behind them. Other various minions that Saithe didn't recognize started to file around to hear what the Keeper had to say. The Warlock that was Possessed before was taken over again. At the glare given around the room, they all knew who it was.

"_We know of the battle ahead. We know that not all may survive. My Horned Reaper has decided to not lead this charge. I will not sacrifice the ones that the child of My Heart has given Me. The dragon shall remain here to assist with My research. We must plan carefully,_" the Keeper advised through the Warlock.

"Horny isn't going to lead?!" a Goblin gaped.

"My mate is bearing offspring," Horny said with a glare.

"_A flaw,_" the Keeper muttered. At the hard gaze he got from the Horned Reaper, a cold smile was given back. "_Worry not. Even a flaw can be improved upon. I will allow this imperfection to become a perfection._"

"You will _not_ call my offspring a flaw," Horny said dangerously. Saithe was tense, but she knew her mate was handling this. "Yes, Saithe said to abort it from her. I am the one declining that decision. My decision is final."

"_I have noted it. It has been decided for you to remain here to guard the child of My Heart and My Heart, as well. But, as this is decided, a replacement for the one to lead My army needs to be done. I shall Possess the one chosen and lead the front,_" the Keeper said sternly. "_This enemy is old. It is ancient. It will die._"

"All hail our Keeper!" another Goblin rooted. Cheers and whistles went around the chamber, and the Keeper rose up the Warlock's hands to silence them.

"_If the flaw…your offspring…is to thrive, you are correct on nourishment. The land above will suffice. But, we must clear out the distractions first. This land is rich in resources. We shall take them all when we are able. My Shadow Demon will spy on our enemy. We shall keep to surprise. I shall have a room constructed to claim the enemy's army as My own. But, that will need to be done when the surprise is gone._"

"True," Shade nodded. "The enemy will know if minions go missing."

"_Yes. My Mistress, your chamber will be expanded. Keep your human on his leash. If not, he may become the next meal that the child of My Heart will consume,_" the Keeper warned. The Mistress nodded at this. She wouldn't argue. "_I may have others to assist you. If you wish to keep your human male to yourself, I would lock him away until this is over. Such subjects can only become toys to others._"

"I will care for mine," the Mistress nodded again. "I will not share my toy."

"Saithe will research for you," Horny said. He was a touch bitter that he would be replaced for leading a charge, but he glanced down at his mate. She was curled up in his lap and shaking. He could tell she was pissed. "What?"

"You should abort this offspring and lead the charge," she whispered.

"No," he muttered. Shadowsbane was clearly worried about her. At a glance to the Priest that was listening in along the wall, the turned human was quick to take the hint. At the sight of him approaching, Horny glared. "There is nothing you can do. This is her pregnancy. I'm letting this one live."

"Ah! Okay," the Priest nodded. "I could make some calming tea that is comprised of blood and herbs. It may help?"

"Hmm. Fine. If she throws it up, then we'll stop," Horny nodded. Then he looked at the Possessed Warlock and said, "Do you have an idea of my…temporary replacement? I will not stop leading your charge in the future."

"_I would hope not,_" the Keeper chuckled. "_There is one in mind. This one lives in a cave on the surface. Have our newest recruits bring that one in. It will be hard to convince this one…unless it is strapped down neatly._"

"I'll ready a table," the Mistress grinned. Daren would help her with that. She was slowly training him on how to assist her. Saithe gave a wide yawn and snuggled into her mate's chest. When she looked over, she noticed that the Keeper was giving her a rather intense gaze. When she noticed that it was a form of lust, she paled.

"_Being in the mind of another is…disturbing. I shall be more careful of it in the future,_" the Keeper muttered. The Keeper knew that he was caught looking. Such a thing was something he did on occasion, but in the mind of another, he now saw exactly how desirable she was. Horny seemed to hiss and shift with her to block her from being seen. Shade had his jaw dropped at what he just witnessed.

"If you touch her, I will take her and leave," Horny said with a seething form of intense hatred. The Keeper pulled back the Warlock's head and laughed. Saithe's eyes widened at the threat, but she remained quiet.

"_You can leave if you must. However, your offspring shall remain,_" the Keeper grinned wickedly. "_It was conceived in My domain. It shall stay in My domain._"

"He is goading you," Saithe whispered to her mate. "Testing you. Don't give in. It's not worth it. He's already letting you stay behind with me. Leave it at that."

"Do you think it's easy to be taunted and…!" he hissed. When her hand came up to caress his cheek, he trembled with control.

"It's not worth it," she said again.

"If he does touch you…" he growled.

"Not now. We'll talk later. After this war is done," she said carefully. The Keeper was clearly amused. She was able to tame the Horned Reaper. He knew she could do that, but to witness it in the eyes of a minion was something else. He would have more to think about, but time was of the essence. They had to recruit one that did not wish to be recruited. The enemy would be caught unaware. If they were to strike, it would need to be done quickly.

"_Let us not waste any more time,_" the Keeper said sternly once more. "_I shall have my Imps find the location of the one we need. The location is not far off. A different direction of the enemy, if that. We must move now._"

When the Warlock came around again and was told what needed to be done, he left for the main Library to research. Horny was still pissed off, but Saithe kept him focused on her. He was quick to take her back to their lair. Even as he rested in her heart bed with her, he was now intensely worried. How does a Keeper even try to breed? The last thing he would want was to be Possessed. If the Keeper knew what was good for him, it wouldn't be tried. But, who's to say what would happen when boredom set in?


	31. Chapter 31

The next several hours were spent with careful excavation under the earth. They had to find the one that would help them win the battle. As the zombies searched up above, the Keeper decided to have his Imps carefully start to reclaim old, abandoned chambers from the previous Keepers that tried and failed through the years. His hope was to box in the old rival. Stealth was the key. It was how he survived for so long.

When Saithe was agitated, Horny was able to start having her research the Library in the room. She was quite adept at it. And, as she researched, she felt her own powers grow. She had to break to eat when she needed it, but she actually found herself enjoying the research she did. It kept her preoccupied enough for Horny to leave her in what peace he could. He had to survey the dungeon to ensure the others were working hard.

When he heard a commotion at the entrance, he snorted and made his way there. What he found surprised him. The zombies had pulled a Rogue out of hiding. The dark clothed, half-masked human was seen before as another minion, but this one was special. He had stolen plans from their enemy successfully. And he was refusing to give over what he knew. The Mistress already had a special set up for him to extract the information she needed for their cause.

Horny crossed his arms over his chest to watch silently. Shade was even there to find out what was discovered. While they were kept entertained with this, the Keeper decided to check on someone. He found himself gazing down into Saithe's chamber. She was reading a book while sitting in Horny's throne. When she reached a blank page, the Keeper decided to start writing.

_You are alone?_ The words suddenly appeared. She blinked at this.

"What are you?" she asked stiffly.

_I spoke to the others not long ago. I am curious of your…condition._

"You spoke to us? Oh. You are the Keeper?"

_Yes, child of My Heart. I wish to know more about you._

"After all this time?!" she growled with disgust.

_Ha! Yes. I sat in the sidelines to watch and observe. Such is my nature. But, as My Horned Reaper is…preoccupied, I find Myself here to speak with you._

"What do you want to know?" she frowned.

_Your birth. Your inheritance. All of it._

"Well, you could ask my Father this. He could tell you."

_I could. But I will not. I want you to tell me._

"You're bored," she muttered. "I will not give you such satisfaction."

_I am hardly bored, child of My Heart. Your talent is different. Powerful. Will your offspring gain this talent? Do you know?_

"Hardly. And I am done speaking with you," she said calmly and closed the book to put it back. Much to her surprise, the book suddenly hovered in the air to flip its pages open by an unseen hand. She bared her fangs with surprise and growled. She was getting irritated. This didn't bode well for anyone.

_You will be done when I say we are done._ The words appeared swiftly. _Answer My questions. I wish to know._

"Do I look like I'm in a condition to answer questions?!" she snapped. The door suddenly opened to let Horny in. He sensed that something was amiss. At the hovering book, Saithe's pissed off expression and the feeling that the Keeper was around, he snarled. She gestured to the floating book lightly.

"Keeper. What do you want with my mate?!" Horny seethed. At this, book simply dropped to the ground and the room felt empty again. He looked at Saithe's irritable, shivering form of anger. "What did he want?"

"He wanted to know of my past. My lineage and upbringing. I told him to ask my Father. He said no. He was bored. He pissed me off. You can check the book," she growled darkly. She kicked the book over to him. He was able to pick it up and read the whole conversation. He swore, tossed the book aside and snorted as he thought.

"Come with me," he said lightly. She looked at him and trembled. "We'll take a walk. A Rogue was brought to the Torture Chambers. We just got information on our enemy. We found a weak point. However, we need a stronger ally. One that we had never recruited before. Have you ever heard of Dark Angels?"

"I can't say that I have," she admitted. She finally calmed down enough to sigh and move to his side. He placed a hot hand on her belly and kissed her. Then he grinned a bit wickedly to have her echo his grin.

"You will soon enough," he chuckled. "They are as brutal as Dark Knights."

"Truly?" she purred.

"Yes. You've seen our Temple before. We had to expand it. Come," he said. He let her climb onto his shoulders to recline. She was getting exhausted again.

"We should abort the damned thing," she muttered.

"No," he smirked. He reached up to pat her rump as he walked. He knew she was ready to fall asleep again. His thoughts were correct when he heard her light snores. He chuckled softly to himself. He could keep her with him this way. He felt better about it, too. He sniffed the air and turned to find Shade walking up to him.

"New mode of transport?" the Shadow Demon grinned.

"After what the Keeper tried to pull, a permanent one!" Horny spat.

"What?"

"The Keeper was able to write to her in a book she was researching!"

"That's new," Shade frowned.

"He's getting interested in her," Horny growled. "I will not allow it."

"I wouldn't, either," he agreed. "We'll talk later. Anyways, we found out what we need to know. You may enjoy this."

"Oh?" Horny asked with interest.

"If we manage to work our way behind the enemy, the walls to the domain are weak. We can dig right into them. All of the attacks have been frontal. But, if we work our way off to a side and then behind…"

"We can have a surprise advantage," he grinned.

"Our little Rogue has also seen where the enemy Heart is located. It's also near the back," Shade grinned wickedly. "The Imps are already tunneling through the dirt carefully. Shadowsbane has agreed to guard the single opening they used behind a magic door. Any that break in will deal with him."

"Very good," Horny nodded. "If we plan this right, we won't even need a room to Scavenge other minions."

"That would be a nice outcome," Shade agreed. "There was something else we found out. You may be a touch…perplexed."

"What?"

"There is another Horned Reaper. However, you are far stronger. This one has been lax from lack of conquests."

"Lovely," he snorted with sarcasm. "I'll kill him!"

"And if he chooses to join us?"

"Impossible! One Reaper to a dungeon. It's our law. We abide by it. If I am challenged, I will slay him!" Horny spat. "Saithe is my mate. My life. I will not hand her over to anyone. I doubt our Keeper will, either."

"To do that is instant defeat," Shade muttered.

"It can be. Anyways, I want to see the new Temple being constructed. Shall we?" Horny asked. Shade nodded and they walked together. The room with the giant pool just had a large hand constructed in the very center. Various minions were already praying around it to enhance the spiritual power for the Keeper. Saithe woke up mildly at where they were, yawned and got comfortable again to sleep.

There was another commotion and Horny swerved lightly. A Dark Angel had finally arrived. He curled his lips back at the male, blue-skinned angel with large, black wings. He wore black armor pants with an overlay of blood red embroidery. His blood red eyes seemed to glow under the skull plate helm he wore over his bald head. The massive, bloodied sword he bore didn't look too friendly, either. He looked rather regal in stature and poise when he moved. The overly muscled creature was sure to be the one to lead the charge in Horny's stead.

"It looks like a champion finally arrived," Shade said with a small growl.

"You don't like them?" Horny grinned.

"You could say," he said in a cool manner. "That I had a mild…falling out with one. A disagreement. I killed him to show that I was in the right."

"Good. That means you can kill this one if it pisses us off," Horny smirked.

"Possibly," Shade muttered. He clearly detested Dark Angels. Horny was completely amused. He never knew that Shade had a hatred for any type of creature. Watching the Shadow Demon shudder for control and vanish into the shadows, he chuckled wickedly. That was when he noticed the Dark Angel coming over to him.

"The two of you should pray!" the new minion thundered out in a deep voice.

"No," Horny snarled. "I am a Horned Reaper. My mate is with offspring and sleeping. You want to wake her up and deal with her? Be my guest."

"Hmm?" Saithe asked when she opened up an eye to glare.

"Wonderful. You woke her up!" Horny scowled.

"What's this about?" Saithe asked when she rose up to stretch.

"This is a Dark Angel. He wants us to help pray to the Keeper," Horny snorted. The Dark Angel was speechless at Saithe's beauty. She looked at his handsome face through a few lank locks of her stark black hair and chuckled. The Dark Angel meant nothing to her. She had her Horned Reaper. She was satisfied with him completely.

"No. I'm too tired. Sorry," she said with a slow drawl as she lay back down on her mate's broad shoulders. Her black wings slowly came out as though to enfold around her mate, and her tail was quick to wrap around his waist. The Dark Angel was stunned. Then he got knocked into a wall from Horny's fist slamming into a slacked jaw. Saithe knew that Horny was pissed and braced herself on him. She knew him all too well.

"And _that_ was for staring at her!" Horny seethed with anger before turning and moving back to his room with her. The Dark Angel only watched them leave silently. The Keeper was amused by all of this as he watched from afar. And now he knew who to use when the time was right to approach Saithe in the future.


End file.
